Shadows of the Past
by Darkflame4ever
Summary: Kakashi lost his best friend and teammate during a mission just before he was teamed with Rin and Obito. Fast forward to the Kage Summit arc where Kakashi was elected Hokage. During the meeting his friend returns. Kakashi/OC. Kakashi centered
1. Prologue Part 1

**Kakashi lost his best friend and teammate during a mission just before he was teamed with Rin and Obito. Fast forward to the Kage Summit arc where Kakashi was elected Hokage. During the meeting his friend returns. How will this change the results of the war? Kakashi/OC Kakashi centered.**

**Do not read if you dislike OC's. I try to make the OC likable, but I know how some people are.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Edit: Thanks to 3DY3Namite for beta'ing this chapter :)**

* * *

><p>The stormy gray clouds had been blocking out the sun for days in the village of Konoha. It was as if Kami himself was setting the mood for the third shinobi war, which had been going on for about a year. The gray overcast could not dampen the will of fire though, as two young shinobi sparred in one of the training grounds.<p>

The eleven year old shinobi were locked in a fierce taijutsu battle; dodging, blocking, and exchanging kicks every second. The silver haired boy was slowly gaining the advantage with his slightly stockier build, but the dark haired girl was using her lithe body to dodge his more powerful punches and kicks.

As their speed intensified for a moment, the boy managed to get past her guard and attempted to hit her shoulder with a knife edge strike to slow her punches down. The girl saw his intention and quickly grabbed his arm, flipping backwards as she did so and jerking him off balance.

His counter to the move was to use her flip to his advantage by adding a bit more force to the movement. They ended up rolling a few feet before they came to a stop, with the boy pinning her down and holding a kunai to her throat.

After they stilled, it was easier to take note of their appearance.

The boy was dressed in dark, bluish gray shinobi shorts that had light gray stripes down the sides. His shirt was the same color, but with a mask attached to it that covered his nose and lower face, leaving only his eyes and a bit of skin visible. Brown leather straps formed an X across his front while on the back it came together into a holder for his tanto. His hitai-ate was tied on his forehead, which caused his hair to spike up and come down onto his face, one tuft of hair between his eyes, and two others over each ear. His black eyes were nondescript, perfect for the life of a shinobi that wished to stay unnoticed.

The girl chose different style of clothing though. She was like a walking shadow. Her black hair was pulled back to hang in a low pony tail that reached down to the center of her back, but it blended into her black shirt perfectly. Instead of sandals, she wore black combat boots that had hidden spaces for weapons. The black cargo pants she had on completed her outfit with the kunai holster strapped to her leg with black tape. She had her hitai-ate tied around her upper arm with a black cloth to match the rest of her clothing. Her eyes though were highly unusual. They were a light golden color, but the strangest part was that the pupils were slitted, like cat or snake eyes.

The girl rolled her eyes and sighed. "You win... again," she said. Her voice was not quiet like one would expect from her clothing, instead it was teasing and at a normal volume like one would expect from a hyper kid.

The boy moved off of her and offered his hand to her. She gripped it and jumped nimbly to her feet.

"That is twenty five wins for me and nineteen wins for you," the masked boy replied. The only way you could tell he was smiling was from his eyes as they closed in amusement.

"Hn," she grunted and crossed her arms. "But don't forget, I'm still winning in terms of ninjutsu."

The boy narrowed his eyes and started to reply, but was interrupted when a _Kuma _masked ANBU dropped down from a nearby tree and walked towards them.

"Hatake Kakashi, Shisou Katsumi, Hokage-sama has requested that you report to his office for a mission," the ANBU told them in a clipped monotone, which was pretty typical for ANBU.

"Hai, we'll head there now," Kakashi replied with a nod.

"Arigato, ANBU-San," Katsumi added right before the ANBU gave a short nod before vanishing back into the trees.

After an unspoken agreement, Kakashi and Katsumi brought their hands up in a _ram_ sign, using _Shunshin _to disappear from the training field. Kakashi vanishing in a swirl of leaves, while Katsumi was engulfed in black clouds.

…..

Exhaling a puff of smoke from his pipe, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, looked up from his paper work to meet the golden eyes of Shisou Katsumi, Chūnin and last of the Shisou clan. Standing beside her was Hatake Kakashi, Chūnin and son of the legendary White Fang of the Leaf. They were only eleven years old, but they were some of the most promising shinobi in the past ten years.

The Hokage straightened up and addressed the two formally. "Hatake, Shisou, you have been assigned a B rank mission guarding a wagon of valuables from the Daimyo's palace," he told them and handed a scroll to Kakashi, which he opened and read over before passing it to Katsumi.

Katsumi skimmed over it and then looked back up at the Hokage with a grin. "This will be as easy as the genin exam," she said, her golden eyes sparked with anticipation.

Katsumi and Kakashi had been working together for over five years. They had both made Chūnin at the age of six, but for different reasons.

Hatake Kakashi was a child prodigy that would most likely be a Jōnin before he was fifteen. He was highly skilled in all the traits required for a shinobi, except for the rare times he underestimated his opponents.

Shisou Katsumi had graduated early because of her skills in taijutsu and ninjutsu. The Shisou clan had never been proficient in genjutsu, but most of them were at least able to sense and dispel up to level A genjutsu. Katsumi's last name was kept a secret from the other countries to try and prevent any assassination attempts due to her being the last of one of the most feared shinobi clan, maybe even more so than the Uchiha's.

Katsumi handed the scroll back to the Hokage. "We'll go pack our supplies and be ready to leave first thing in the morning, Hokage-sama," she told him with a quick bow before rushing out the door.

Sarutobi gave a quiet chuckle at the antics of Katsumi, while also noticing that the normally emotionless Kakashi had a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. The Hokage would have bet his hat that Kakashi was smirking under his mask.

The silver haired Chūnin quickly bowed to Sarutobi and left without a word to follow his teammate.

Shaking his head in amusement, the Hokage started signing more paperwork while contemplating the issue with Hatake. When Hatake Sakumo committed suicide, Kakashi had shut off all his emotions and cut off all attempts to get through to him. Katsumi was the only one that was able to bring him out of his shell, though Sarutobi suspected that was only because she was just as stubborn as she was strong; much like a certain genin that liked to wear green spandex and proclaimed himself as Kakashi's and Katsumi's eternal rival.

_I just pray to Kami that they will remain uninjured; leaving the safety of the village during the time of war is highly dangerous_.

Sighing, Sarutobi turned his thoughts to other things as he worked through the ever increasing stack of paperwork.

….

Katsumi and Kakashi lived in the same apartment building, so they tended to hang out together a lot outside of training and missions. Kakashi had sold his father's house after Sakumo had died because the painful memories were too much for him to deal with.

When Katsumi found out, she had told him that there was an apartment available in her building, so he had decided to move in after Katsumi had persuaded (held at kunai point) him to consider the option.

Katsumi and her mother had lived in the apartment since she was born. The Shisou district had been burnt to the ground during the massacre and instead of being rebuilt; the village had decided to just build new stores over it since the clan was gone.

Kakashi had just finished packing when there was a knock at his door. Before he even had a chance to answer he heard a shout. "Hey, Kashi, I know you're done packing. Want to go get something to eat?" Katsumi asked through the door.

_She calls me nicknames all the time, but if I try it with her it always ends badly...  
><em>  
>After making sure his money pouch was in his pocket, Kakashi opened the door to see Katsumi leaning against the wall with her hands in her pockets.<p>

_I still wonder how in the world she could inherit Uchiha patience and calmness, while still having the energy and hyperness of a tornado, it shouldn't be possible. I guess that just makes her even more dangerous._

Pushing away from the wall, Katsumi fell in step beside Kakashi as they headed out of the building.

"Where do you want to eat at, Kashi?" she asked, her gold eyes flickering towards him a moment.

Kakashi tilted his head in mild amusement. "You're actually giving me a choice?" he replied as they reached the crowded market area of the village.

Katsumi snorted. "I'm offended! See if I ever ask you again!" she said playfully while tilting her head upward and away from him.

Rolling his eyes, Kakashi took the lead and started walking towards a less congested area. "You don't even know how to be offended," he told her, coming to a stop at a small restaurant.

"You wanna bet? Next time we spar it will be ninjutsu only," Katsumi retorted as she sat down at a table.

Kakashi sighed, which he seemed to do a lot when around her, and place his order when the waitress came up to them.

The atmosphere in the restaurant was homey, which made it one of their favorite places to eat. It had _nothing _to do with the fact that it was not as popular among the younger shinobi, meaning it was usually nice and quiet when compared to the local barbecue restaurant.

Neither Chūnin spoke as they waited on their food, each one lost in their own thoughts. After their food was placed in front of them, they started eating. Kakashi managed to eat by taking bites at lightning fast speeds so no one could see behind his mask.

_I have a feeling this is going to be a bad mission. I'd better go ahead and get the talk out of the way._

"You know," Kakashi started after a few minutes, "The possibility of being attack on this mission is high," he told Katsumi.

"Hn."

_Those Uchiha bloodlines can be so annoying sometimes!_

Kakashi took that as a sign to continue. "We won't be allowed to take hostages this time because we'll be traveling with others to a secret location. Are you prepared this time to kill?" he asked quietly.

Katsumi looked up from her plate, her slitted eyes clouded with sadness. "You know the answer to that. Can't we just go with our usual team style?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, but you know circumstances won't always allow it," he reminded her.

"I know, I'll just have to deal with it even though it tears me apart," Katsumi said with a sigh. She suddenly reached behind her head and pulled the band out of her hair, allowing it to fall forward to perfectly frame her face.

Kakashi sighed and went back to eating while mulling the situation over in his mind.

_She only lets her hair down when she is stressed. They were insane forcing her to become a shinobi. I understand they were trying to preserve and protect the bloodline, but the cost is too great._

They had just finished eating and were getting ready to leave when a voice caused both of them to stop.

"Katsumi-chan, I've been looking for you," a smooth, yet slightly lisped voice said as a pale hand came down on Katsumi's shoulder.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes in distrust as he instantly recognized the man.

_It's him. We couldn't get out before he came back. Kami-sama must hate me for some reason..._

Katsumi merely smiled and tilted her head up to meet the slitted eyes of Orochimaru.

"It's nice to see you again Orochimaru-sama," Katsumi said sincerely, her eyes lighting up a bit.

_I don't see why she trusts him; she knows as well as I do that he is up to something._

"I thought I told you to quit calling me that," he said in the same silky voice while raising a delicate eyebrow.

Katsumi's smile changed to an evil smirk that Orochimaru would be proud of.

"Very well then, Ochi-kun," she replied happily.

The snake sannin chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair. "Would you walk with me for a bit? I would like to speak with you before you leave," he asked, not so subtly hinting for Kakashi to leave them alone, even though he had not acknowledged Kakashi's presence yet.

_Say no, say no, say no..._

Kakashi was about to object when Katsumi nodded.

"Sure! Kashi, want to meet up later at training ground ten?" she asked, not receiving his mental pleas.

_Ground ten...? Oh no, is she punishing me or something?_

The silver haired Chūnin just suppressed a sigh and nodded stiffly.

"Great! See you later!" His teammate waved before walking away beside Orochimaru.  
><em><br>That guy gives me the creeps. I always worry when she's alone with him._

Kakashi shook his head and turned to walk _very _slowly towards training ground ten, not wanting to get there too quickly.

….

Katsumi walked alongside the pale sannin with her hands in her pockets, comfortably relaxed around him, though she was probably one of the few that would ever feel that way.

"What did you want to talk about, Ochi-san?" Katsumi asked him curiously.

It was not often that she got to spend time with the elite shinobi, but she knew that he had too many missions to do to have time to idly spend with her.

Orochimaru glanced down at her with a rare show of concern in his slitted, greenish gold eyes. "I want to warn you to be extremely careful on your mission," he said carefully.

The dark-haired Chūnin tilted her head, knowing there was more.

"Rumors have somehow gotten out that one of the Shisou clan is still alive. Enemy nin from Iwa have been ambushing all Konoha nin that leave the village. They have been attacking with intent to kill and we have lost several Chūnin and even a Jōnin to them," he told her, his normally smooth voice was tinged with anger and he leaked out a small amount of killing intent. It was not much, but it was enough to clear out a path in the crowd from them.

Katsumi reached up and placed her hand on his arm. "Calm down. I'm fine and no enemy nin will be able to seriously hurt or kill me. You know that even if I dislike killing, I can defend myself from most people below Kage or ANBU level," she told him, gripping his arm until the killing intent stopped.

Orochimaru shook his head and narrowed his eyes at her in a way that could have been frightening had she not been used to it. "Don't become overconfident now," he warned her.

Smirking, Katsumi crossed her arms and raised her chin. "It's in my blood to be overconfident," she replied, and added after a moment, "And it's definitely in yours too."

Orochimaru chuckled and ruffled her hair, which fell back in place immediately. "Just be careful, I would hate to lose the last of my family just because you were caught off guard."

Sighing, Katsumi nodded. "I know, but these are dangerous times, sometimes you can't control what happens."

The snake sannin nodded in agreement before picking her up, which she only protested with a small squeak of surprise. "I've got to report to Sensei and then leave on another mission shortly," he said, giving her a quick hug, which Katsumi returned before he set her back down.

"Be careful, Ochi-san," she said and he nodded before flickering away.

Katsumi sighed, wishing she could spend more time with him. She shook her head to clear her thoughts before taking off onto the rooftops towards the training grounds.

….

Kakashi was almost at the training ground when he heard movement behind him, but stayed relaxed as he recognized the chakra signature.

_So she is safe from the snake again, that's good._

Katsumi slowed down from her run and stopped beside him.

"Ochi-san had a warning for me," she said quickly and relayed the message to Kakashi.

"Well at least he was helpful this time, but the news is definitely something to worry about," he replied and rubbed his mask thoughtfully.

"I know you dislike Ochi-san, but you don't have to be so negative about him being with me," Katsumi added, clearly not concerned about the news at the moment.

_She is always defensive about him. I guess I can understand it, but still... he looks at me like I'm something to eat._

"How are you two related again?" Kakashi asked her, still trying to make the connection between his passive teammate and the deadly snake sannin.

"He's my grandmother's sister's son, so first cousin I think is the way to put it," Katsumi replied as she pulled her hair back into a band. "I know you don't trust him, with good reason, but I know he would never hurt me," she added with a shrugged, glancing at Kakashi out of the corner of her eye.

_I might as well give up on the matter; I never can seem to win an argument with her._

"Whatever you say," Kakashi said, surrendering peacefully.

As the Chūnin approached the training grounds, they could hear the sounds of punches and kicks against wood along with random shouts about fanning the flames of youth.

Kakashi and Katsumi stepped past the tree line to see a green blur throw punches and kicks at several training dummies at one time, hitting all of them with powerful blows that knocked off chunks of wood.

"Why did we come here?" Kakashi asked, which almost sounded like a moan if it had not been so undignified.

"Because he is our friend and we want to spend some time with him before we leave for the mission," Katsumi said told him while sending him a slitted glare, as if daring him to disagree.

The prodigy Chūnin was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.  
><em><br>But as long as she can't control my thoughts, I'm ok. And I do disagree with the fact; I'm just not in the mood to argue with her._

Kakashi tried to convince himself that he was not afraid of her, but a voice in the back of his head reminded him that all kunoichi were terrifying when angered.

"The famous 'K' team of Konoha! What brings you here my most youthful friends and eternal rivals?"

The green blur had suddenly appeared in front of them, revealing it to be a boy around their age and height, but the similarities stopped there.

He had black hair in a shiny bowl cut and thick black eyebrows, but that was not the worst part. It was hard to think of him as a shinobi since he was wearing a one piece, green spandex jumpsuit, which fit a bit loosely (thankfully) on his frame. He wore his hitai-ate on a red cloth like a belt, and to top it all off was burnt orange leg warmers.

All of the above together caused Kakashi's left eyebrow to twitch from just looking at it.

_They really need to promote Gai to Chūnin so he can take more missions out of the village. He would scare off all enemy nins with that outfit._

Katsumi was smiling at Gai, a real smile, not one of the tolerant ones like most shinobi gave him.

"Your flames of youth burn much brighter than ours, Gai-kun. I was hoping you could cease fanning the flames for a bit so we could hang out before Kashi and I head out for our next mission," Katsumi replied, causing Kakashi to sweat-drop.  
><em><br>She really needs to quit hanging out with him._

Maito Gai flashed them a blinding smile and gave them a thumbs up. "Yosh! We shall hang out and let our flames of friendship grow even brighter!" he shouted with glee.

"Shall we take a walk around the village?" Katsumi offered, causing both boys to nod, though at completely different speeds.

"So what can you tell me about the mission?" Gai asked once the trio was on the trail that led around the edge of the village.

Kakashi was the one to answer the question. "It's a B rank guard mission escorting valuables to a secret location," the masked Chūnin explained shortly.

Gai nodded and scratched his chin thoughtfully, furrowing his eyebrows together till they looked like one big, fuzzy, unibrow. "Hm, just be careful and don't let your youthful flame be diminished by the unyouthful enemy. Once I'm promoted to Chūnin, maybe Hokage-sama will place us on the same team," he said hopefully.

_Kami forbid, but it would make sense. I'm proficient in genjutsu, Katsumi is an expert in ninjutsu, and Gai is an up and coming taijutsu master._

"There is a good chance that will happen, given that our different abilities complement each other," Kakashi admitted, earning surprised looks from Gai and Katsumi.

Gai quickly smiled and gave him his good guy pose with the thumbs up. "That's the spirit, Kakashi-kun! I knew your youthful flames burned brighter than you let on!"  
><em><br>Why do I even try...?_

Kakashi just nodded absently and decided to tune out the rest of the conversation between Katsumi and Gai, though he did still occasionally catch the words "youth" "flames" and "challenge".

* * *

><p><em>The prologue is before the Kakashi Chronicles, then the chapters go AU right before the Kage Summit Meeting.<em>

_This fills in the time before Kakashi was teamed up with Obito and Rin. Obito and Rin didn't graduate until they were ten or eleven, and Kakashi grauated at age five, so there is no way they could have been his original teamates._

_On Orochimaru... Since Katsumi is the last of his family (his parents died young in canon) I feel that he would place her health and happiness (just barely) above his human experiments. So after the events at the end of the next prologue, he turns into the Ochi-san that we all know and love (or I do at least. lol)_


	2. Prologue Part II

**Here's the second part of the prologue. I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, if I did the show would be called Kakashi XD**

****Edit: Thanks to 3DY3Namite for beta'ing this chapter :)****

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><p>The next morning, Kakashi and Katsumi were standing the village gate, saying goodbye to the guards.<p>

Katsumi brought her hands up in a _dog _sign and looked over at her masked teammate. "What color?" she asked simply.

"Green," Kakashi replied, easily understanding the question.

Nodding, the golden eyed Chūnin flashed through the hand signs and released a bit of chakra, causing a small cloud of white smoke to engulf her. When the smoke cleared, Katsumi still looked the same, except for her eyes. The previously gold slitted eyes were now a normal green with a regular pupil.

_It's good that she can fight and still hold the __Henge__, or else she would have to wear a mask, since she can't use a genjutsu to change the color._

"Let's head out," Kakashi said before taking off into the trees with _Henged _Katsumi right on his heels.

Both of them only carried a small pack that was light and easy to carry. Kakashi was nowhere near a seals master, but he had learned how to make storage scrolls from his sensei. Katsumi's mother had taught her about the common seals before she died, so Katsumi knew the basics and was only a few levels behind Kakashi in that area, which her sensei was working on with her.

After traveling via tree hopping for a while, the two teammates jumped back to the ground to conserve chakra and avoid arriving at the meeting place too early.

"How is your new jutsu coming along, Kashi?" Katsumi asked after a while, breaking the silence.

The silver haired prodigy glanced at her with a bit of pride in his eyes, though only those close to him would be able to detect it. "It seems to be almost ready to use. It creates a small crater instead of an explosion when it hits a target now," he told her.

"Great! Have you decided what you are going to name it yet?" she questioned, her now green eyes flashing with amusement as she remembered the other names he had come up with.

Kakashi nodded once. "_Chidori_."

"Hn."  
><em><br>I really wish she had avoided inheriting that trait._

Shaking his head, Kakashi sighed. "There is no doubt about it; you are definitely related to the Uchiha's."

"You just have to remind me of that, don't you?" she said and rolled her eyes before noticing that he was doing his annoying eye-smiles. "Besides, I've heard you "Hn" too," Katsumi added with a smirk, causing Kakashi to shoot her a glare.

"It's only because I've heard you do it so much. It must be a form of some contagious disease," he retorted, trying to maintain some dignity instead of getting drawn into bickering.

Rolling her eyes, Katsumi grinned and nudged Kakashi. "Come on; let's race to the meeting point!"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "No using your kekkei genkai," he warned her.

"...Hn," she grunted and jumped into the trees.  
><em><br>Some things never change._

Kakashi did not even bother protesting her head start as he disappeared into the trees after her.

….

Once there, Kakashi and Katsumi waited in the trees for the clients to arrive. During war times it was important to make sure enemy shinobi did not request fake missions in order to launch surprise attacks.

It was not long before the young Chūnins heard the sound of wagon wheels and footsteps heading towards them. The wagon soon pulled into view and stopped at the meeting point. There were five guards and three movers in the group; all of them seemed to be on edge, as if expecting an attack.

Katsumi glanced over at Kakashi who nodded and disappeared with a _Shunshin_. She watched the reactions of the ones in the clearing as her teammate flickered around the edge of the clearing. None of the travelers reacted to the use of chakra and by the time Kakashi had returned, she had decided it was safe to interact with the clients.

Jumping down into the clearing, the two Chūnin managed to keep a straight face as the movers and guards about jumped out of their skins.

"We are the shinobi that the Daimyo hired to protect your cargo until you reach its new destination," Kakashi informed them calmly, noticing that more than one of the guards had disbelieving expressions.

The lead guard took a step forward. "The password?" he asked, keeping a hand on his sword's sheath.

The silver haired Chūnin did not miss a beat and quickly replied. "There is no password because such information can easily be intercepted by spies."

The guard gave a satisfied nod and took up his position next to the wagon again.

"Is the Hokage trying to insult us by sending two kids?" one of the movers asked, sounding upset.

Katsumi raised an eyebrow and stared at them for a few moments, making them uneasy before she spoke. "We are both of Chūnin rank and are highly skilled for our age. Now can we please get moving before any bandits that are after you do catch up?"

The guards nodded while the movers picked up the wagon handles and started moving forward once again.

After an unspoken agreement, Kakashi moved to guard the front of the wagon while Katsumi trailed behind to protect the sides and back.

The group traveled in the formation for two days, only stopping at night to set up camp. Katsumi would only release the _Henge _on her eyes at night when everyone else was asleep while she and Kakashi took turns keeping watch.

The first signs of trouble started around noon on the third day.

Kakashi was traveling in front of the wagon when he noticed some birds take off suddenly from nearby tree, screeching in warning as they flew away. He narrowed his eyes and then tilted his head to the side, focusing chakra to his ears to increase his hearing.

The sounds of the clients and Katsumi walking intensified first, followed by the movement of the local animals. After a few seconds of listening Kakashi find what he was listening for, the sound of leaves and twigs being crushed by many footsteps in the forest around them.  
><em><br>I half expected an attack at night, but I guess they think we wouldn't be expecting them now. It's still not a smart move when facing shinobi._

Glancing back at Katsumi, Kakashi caught her eye and then quickly signed to her using the ANBU short-hand they had learned thanks to the Hokage's orders.

'Enemy close - not shinobi - go check'

Katsumi nodded and then silently stepped off the trail, disappearing into the forest.

The guards noticed the exchange and tensed up, flinching as Katsumi reappeared behind them.

'Five of them - muscle - no brains - easy win - careful - carrying kunai - shuriken - plus big weapons' Katsumi quickly signed to him.

Kakashi nodded and jumped into the trees.

_Standard bandits, though if they even know how to use kunai and shuriken is unknown; Katsumi can stop any attacks while I handle the rest._

After a few moments Kakashi spotted five men traveling through the undergrowth. The largest one was carrying a spiked ball attached to a chain and was wearing some beat up battle armor. The other four had swords and Kakashi could see the kunai and shuriken pouches attached to their legs.

Still moving silently, the silver haired shinobi slipped behind them, pulling out two kunai with one hand. He threw both of them at the same time, hitting two of the swordsman in the back of the skull. With a dull scrape, the kunai penetrated bone, killing them instantly.

"Kuso! Shinobi! Attack now!" one of the others shouted as their teammates fell to the ground.

The three remaining bandits ran towards the edge of the forest. The one that shouted ran almost sideways keeping an eye out for more kunai.

When Kakashi hurled a handful of shuriken at them, the man deflected them with his own shuriken.  
><em><br>You want a weapons fight? You got one._

…..

By that time the other two had made it out into the open. They ran towards Katsumi before splitting up, holding their weapons at ready. The largest bandit swung the spike ball around his head a few times before letting it go, causing it to fly towards Katsumi and her clients. The other bandit quickly hurled two handfuls of kunai and shuriken at her from the opposite side.

Staying calm, Katsumi glanced back at the panicked guards and movers. "Calm down and stick together; we can handle simple bandits," she told them as she flashed through hand signs.

As soon as she finished, Katsumi slammed her hand onto the ground. "_Doton: Tsuchi Kairō_!"

The ground around them suddenly shot up and formed a protective dome around all of them, leaving only a small opening at the top as it deflected the weapons.

"Stay here, I'll release the jutsu as soon as the fight is over," Katsumi ordered, receiving quick nods before she used a chakra enforced jump to fly out of the opening.

As soon as she landed outside the dome, she weaves a few more hand signs as the (not so bright) bandits rushed towards her again.

"_Suiton: Hahonryū_," Katsumi whispered as she formed to small, yet powerful, rotating balls of water in each hand before throwing them at her attackers.

The water balls struck both of them in the chest, causing them to fly back, knocking the wind out of them.

As they struggled to stand back up, the dark haired Chūnin flashed through one last set of hand seals.

"_Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu_," she said and disappeared into the ground.

Before the two bandits knew what was happening, they were suddenly jerked into the ground up to their necks. Katsumi emerged from the ground behind them and quietly knocked them out.

Kakashi emerged from the woods a few moments later.

"I've already disposed of the other three bodies," he informed her.

Katsumi nodded wordlessly and turned to dispel the dome jutsu over their clients as Kakashi finished off the last two bandits.

…..

Later that night the group had stopped to set up camp. As the small camp fire crackled quietly from the semi-wet wood, Kakashi and Katsumi sat beside it; neither were ready to go to sleep.

The guards and movers had already retreated into the tents were fast asleep, so Katsumi had dropped the _Henge _for the night.

Kakashi was keeping a worried eye on his teammate, who was staring into the fire with a distant expression on her face as her gold eyes glowed eerily in the light.

"Kat, don't let your emotions affect the mission," Kakashi said quietly, drawing her attention.

Katsumi looked up from the fire to meet his eyes. "Easier said than done," she said with a wry smile. "Besides they've never had on effect on my fighting skills, so I don't see the problem with it."

_I hope after this war is over, Hokage-sama will let her either retire or take only C or D rank missions. She shouldn't have to be put through this.  
><em>  
>Sighing, Kakashi shook his head. "But just now, your attention was somewhere else; what if an enemy attacked?" he asked, absently adjusting his mask.<p>

Katsumi shrugged and reached towards the ground, picking up a small, jet black dog that had suddenly formed from seemingly out of nowhere. The dog wagged its tail before jumping out of her hand and running to Kakashi, growing larger as it did so until it was normal size.

"I only space out when you're around because I know you will warn me," she replied as the dog nosed Kakashi's knee until he petted it.

As he rubbed the animated dog's head, Kakashi smiled under his mask, honored by her trust in him.

_Her control is getting even better; before she couldn't make it wag its tail and move at the same time._

"Why a dog?" he asked suddenly.

"Because I know it's your favorite," Katsumi told him with a smile, her slitted eyes back to their usual playfulness, much to Kakashi's relief.

"Go to sleep, I'll keep first watch," he told her firmly, leaving no room for argument.

Rolling her eyes, she stood up and moved towards the bed rolls that were out the open. "Fine. Night, Kashi," she told him as she lay down with her back to the fire.

Kakashi looked back down at the dog still at his feet and sighed in slight amusement. "Go to sleep, Katsumi," he told her again.

Katsumi chuckled and the dog melted between his fingers, the ink-like substance spreading out until it disappeared into the shadows.

_Nothing can keep her down long. _Kakashi thought with eye smiles before focusing on keeping watch.

…..

"Katsumi! Protect the wagon and clients!" Kakashi ordered as he _Shunshined _behind the bulky Iwa nin.

The group had been ambushed by two Iwa Jōnin that next day. Luckily Iwa standards were not the same as Konoha's, or else the two Chūnin would not have stood much of a chance without immediately blowing Katsumi's cover.

Katsumi heard her teammates order and immediately dropped into a protective stance, facing the second Iwa nin, who smirked and rushed forwards to engage her in taijutsu.

Dodging one of his punches, Katsumi delivered a side kick to his knee, causing him to stagger as the knee cracked a bit. Taking a step back, Katsumi once again flashed through hand signs and water balls formed in her hands. As she hurled them at the nin, he formed some hand signs and slammed his hand to the ground. A wall of earth shot up from the ground, blocking her attack.

Katsumi suddenly sensed movement in the ground beneath her and jumped into the air just in time to avoid the hands to shot out of ground to grab her.

As the nin crawled out of the ground, he smirked at her and finally spoke. "A water and earth elemental, huh? That plus the looks seem to match up. Now we just need to check the eyes," he said and pulled out a kunai.

Katsumi's eyes widened as she recognized the trench kunai, which could channel and hold chakra. One little cut and it would dispel her _Henge_, which was already a struggle to keep on at the moment.

As she jumped back to avoid the swipe, she suddenly felt the pressure of a genjutsu. Bringing her hand together, she muttered "_Kai_" as she stopped her chakra flow for a split second, only for the nin in front of her to disappear.

A split second later she felt a sharp, burning pain next to her right shoulder blade. Katsumi turned her head to look behind her and saw that the trench kunai was buried halfway into her shoulder, hindering her movements as blood steadily dripped out of the wound. As she spun to face the nin, who had jumped a few feet back after stabbing her, she shouted to the guards and movers. "Go into the forest and hide, we'll come after you after we take care of these shinobi," she ordered, her gold eyes flashing in pain and anger as she heard the sound of them moving away.

Katsumi kept a wary eye on the shinobi as she reached over her shoulder and pulled out the kunai with a slight wince.

"So I was right, I've found the last of the Shisou clan. I'll get a huge bounty after killing you," he said and suddenly palmed two yellow balls from his pocket.

Katsumi's eyes widened as she recognized them.

He threw the balls towards her and they exploded, causing a flash of blinding white light. As Katsumi's light sensitive eyes closed shut in pain, the nin suddenly struck her in the side with a powerful roundhouse kick, which sent her flying just as a high pitch chirping filled the air.

…

Kakashi was in a dangerous fight with the other nin. Even though Kakashi was a prodigy, he could not engage the man in taijutsu. Every time the Chūnin got close to him, the Jōnin would activate _Doton: Domu _and harden his body to the strength of stone.

Kakashi had tried using his lightning jutsu, but the nin would dodge them effortlessly, leaving him only a few options.  
><em><br>I'll need to use my new jutsu; it's the only thing strong and fast enough to pierce his hardened skin._

Flashing through hand signs, Kakashi nodded in satisfaction as the Jōnin froze once the genjutsu took over. It would take him a few moments to dispel it because Kakashi had blended two jutsu together, and a moment was all he needed.

Kakashi quickly stepped back and started weaving signs for his new jutsu. As he gripped his right arm with his left hand and the lighting chakra started forming in his palm, a sudden explosion of light caught his attention where Katsumi had been fighting.  
><em><br>She won't be defeated that easily. I'll finish this guy off though and go help her, since I know she won't deal any death blows._

As the chirping from the _Chidori _filled the air, Kakashi ran forward, ready to strike the Iwa nin who had just broke free of the genjutsu.

As he neared the Jōnin and raised his hand to attack, a black blur suddenly shot through the air towards them and Kakashi recognized it as Katsumi.  
><em><br>No! I won't be able to stop in time!_

The next moment seemed to go by in slow motion for him. As Katsumi fell in front of him, the _Chidori _clipped the left side of her ribs, causing blood to splatter onto his hand.

Katsumi's short scream as she hit the ground was all it took for Kakashi to freeze in horror.

_No... This should not have happened... She has to be okay!_

He held his breath as Katsumi opened her eyes, looking past him with a fierce expression.

_The Iwa nin!_

Kakashi spun around to see the two Jōnin standing behind him, kunai in hand. Then he noticed two black tendrils had risen up from the ground, the sharpened points pierced through their necks.  
><em><br>She actually killed them..._

A sudden cough from behind him grabbed his attention as the black substance melted away, letting the enemy dropped lifelessly to the ground.

Katsumi was looking up at Kakashi with pain filled eyes when he turned back around and he dropped down to his knees beside her.

"Hold still, you're going to be fine," Kakashi told her and weaved the hand signs for a diagnostic jutsu, while mentally panicking.  
><em><br>She has to be alright!_

"I don't think I'll be making it back to Konoha," Katsumi said weakly as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Kakashi stared in shock and horror as the diagnostics results came up. "No..."

"I know it wasn't a direct hit, but the edge of the attack clipped my heart. It's going to give out at any minute," she told him quietly. "That is one powerful jutsu."

Clenching his jaw tight, a few tears leaked out of the corner of his eyes. "I'm never using that jutsu again. I'm so sorry, Kat!" Kakashi apologized fervently as he slid one arm under her neck and back, lifting her up a bit.

Her gold eyes hardened in a way that he rarely saw. "Don't blame yourself! Continue to work on that jutsu and promise me you won't let this eat you up inside!" she said sharply, only to flinch as her heart protested the strain.

Kakashi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I promise to try," he replied.

Nodding, Katsumi sighed. "You know, I never did get to see you without your mask."

Without hesitation, Kakashi reached up with his free hand and pulled down his mask, sending her a small smile.

Katsumi stared at him a moment before giving a strained chuckle. "I see now why you wear it. If you didn't you would have a fan club worse than any Uchiha."

Before Kakashi could respond, she spoke again. "Tell Gai I'll miss him, and let Hokage-sama tell Ochi-san. I don't want him to kill you when he finds out. Finish the mission, Kakashi," she said and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Hai," Kakashi said in a choked voice.

When Katsumi opened her eyes, she suddenly held her hand up and black tendrils came out from underneath her and gathered into her hand. After hovering there a moment, they suddenly blended together in the shape of a black rose, thorns and all.

Kakashi felt a surge of chakra from her before she handed to the rose to him.

"Keep this. I set it with chakra, so it will last forever," she said as he gingerly took it from her.

"Katsumi..." Kakashi swallowed back a sob and pulled her into a hug. "I'll never forget you."

Closing her slitted eyes one last time, Katsumi breathed her last words, "I promise, Kashi, if there is a way to come back, I will," she said and then fell limp in his arms.  
><em><br>First my father, and now her..._

For the first time since his father's death, Kakashi let the tears fall unchecked and allowed them to take over as he held the body of his best friend.

_Just open your eyes, just open your eyes and see that life is beautiful._

_Will you swear on your life that no one will cry at my funeral?_

_~ Life is Beautiful by Sixx:A.M._

* * *

><p><em>*Hides under rock* Don't kill me for that. heh heh.<em>

_That's it for the prologue. The actual chapters will be set during the Kage Summit meeting._

_I'm not putting a word glossary unless I get a lot of requests for it, I think I described the techniques well enough that it's not necessary._

_To clear things up a bit, Katsumi shortens the names of people she's close to, but if she calls them by their full name it's a serious situation. Katsumi __doesn't like her named shortened to 'Kat' though because she feels it's a bad pun on her eyes. Kakashi is only allowed to call her that in serious times._

_I'm considering writing a oneshot of the reaction when Kakashi returns and announces her death, which should be fun writing Ochi-san's reaction. It will probably be a while before I start working on it though._

_Kakashi stopped working on the Chidori after this, but started it up again to coincide with the Kakashi chronicles events._


	3. Chapter 1

**Here's where the chapters actually start. I'll explain some of the things that happens in the chapter at the end to avoid giving away any spoilers. Everything in the timeskip is canon up to manga chapter 458, after that it goes AU.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

><p><em>I hate politics.<em>

Kakashi was bored out of his mind as he listened to the other Kages debating on how to handle the war with Uchiha Madara.

_Why did I agree to this again? Oh right, because Tsunade-sama is in a coma and they named me Hokage in her place after the other Kages found out Danzō was controlling Mifune with a transplanted Sharingan eye._

"Hokage-sama, what is your opinion on the matter?" the third Tsuchikage asked him, grabbing his attention.

Kakashi eye-smiled at him. "I believe we would win the war quickly if we allowed Killer Bee and Naruto to fight at the front lines," he replied, having actually heard the conversation.

The Kages started arguing again, some protesting the danger of allowing Madara's targets in range. Mifune, the samurai general, had to silence them again so it would not turn into a shouting contest.

_Since I'm Hokage, I wonder if I can just order Shikaku to fill in for me..._

Kakashi glanced at the scarred Nara, only for Shikaku to narrow his eyes. "Don't even think about it," he mouthed to the Hokage.

_Nah, the other Kages would chase me down; even I can't outrun all of them._

Kakashi's hand was itching to creep back towards his pouch where he kept his Ichi Ichi books. It was not the healthiest obsession, but there was more to it than he let on. Pressed in-between the pages was a black rose, which he would stare at for hours. No one had ever tried to look in the perverted book, so his secret had stayed safe.

_I guess the other Kages wouldn't appreciate my reading it at the moment_.

"What about Uchiha Sasuke? He attacked Killer Bee! I want Konoha to list him as a missing nin immediately!" the Fourth Raikage demanded, slamming his hand on the table and causing it to crack a bit.

A voice from the doorway suddenly broke through the argument. "I'd give Sasuke one more chance, seeing as that I have some information to give him. It will probably bring him back to our side."

Kakashi immediately froze as his single eye widened in shock.

_That voice... It's impossible. It can't be her._

When Kakashi finally worked up the nerve to turn his head, he was greeted by the sight of black pants, a black shirt, black hair, and green eyes.

"Katsumi..." he breathed quietly.

Only Shikaku heard him, but he took in a sharp breath in shock.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Kashi?" his long dead friend asked with a smile.

…..  
><em><br>A day earlier._

The sun shone down in a grassy clearing, which was filled with training equipment and one lone shinobi. As the woman struck the wooden posts with surprising force, the edge of the clearing suddenly wavered, as if suddenly struck by a heat wave.

Another woman suddenly came into view at the edge of the clearing. She looked to be around the same age as the other woman in the clearing, but was a bit shorter. She had black hair cut in a short bob, and was wearing a black skirt with mesh leggings with dark green shirt that showed a hint of cleavage. Her face was a pretty heart shape, but the most noticeable thing was that her eyes were a dark golden color and the pupils were slitted like a cat or snakes.

The other women glanced towards her before she stopped attacking the post and walked towards her. She was wearing black shinobi pants that fit a bit loosely, and a black, long sleeve shirt with a low cut neck that only showed a hint of cleavage. She had on black shinobi sandals and kunai pouches tied to both legs. Her long black hair flowed freely down her back and past her shoulder blades. It was parted a bit in the front and a few strands fell in front of her shoulders to frame her face. Her eyes were a lighter golden color, similar to the other woman's eyes, and like the other woman's, her eyes were slitted.

"Good evening, _Okā-san_," the one that had been training said with a smile.

The other women came to a stop in front of her. "Katsumi, I thought you might find it interesting to know that Kakashi-kun was named Hokage."

Katsumi eyes widened a bit as she grinned. "I never thought he would actually accept the position," she replied and then frowned. "But what happened to Tsunade-sama?"

"She's in a coma for now, but Madara's army is about ready to move out. Danzō was controlling the samurai general Mifune with Uchiha Shisui's Sharingan. When the other Kages found out, they kicked out Danzō and messaged Konoha to send someone else. Uchiha Sasuke killed Danzō after he left the summit," the woman replied and then continued filling Katsumi in on all the recent events.

"I guess I need to-" Katsumi broke off from what she was about to say and looked around as two more people entered the clearing.

One was a man around thirty years old with spiky blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Beside him was a woman about the same age with bright red hair and violet eyes.

"I have a feeling you will succeed this time, Katsumi. So Minato and I came to wish you luck and say good bye," the woman said with a smile.

"Arigato, Kushina-sensei, Minato-sensei" Katsumi said and stepped forward to give each of them a quick hug.

As they broke apart, Kushina looked up at the other woman. "Natsumi, would you like to come with us to visit Jiraiya-sama?"

The woman, Natsumi, nodded. " Hai, I'll be right there," she said before turning to Katsumi. "In case you do succeed, remember everything we have taught you. You have had the privilege of having many great mentors while you have been here," she told her before embracing her in a hug.

Katsumi returned the gesture tightly before taking a step back. "I will, Mother."

Natsumi walked over to join Minato and Kushina; all three of them waving goodbye before fading away.

Katsumi smiled before shaking her head and started fading away herself. "Time to go talk to Kami again," she said just before she disappeared.

…..

"Not you again," Kami said with a sigh as the golden eyed shinobi appeared in his personal area _again_.

He was about ready to leave to go play cards with the other deities and was not about to have her tag along and ruin his game.

"You know why I'm here," she said, stepping towards the giant sized form without hesitation.

Kami shook his head and shot her a glare. "I still want to know how in the world you get in here," he told her and then sent her a calculating glance. "Tell you what, I'll _discuss _the idea with you if you tell me how you get in here," Kami offered her.

Grinning, Katsumi motioned to herself. "Deal. The answer is; you forget who I am," she replied, her slitted eyes sparked with triumph.

Narrowing his eyes, Kami shook his head. "I know who you are! You are Shisou-" He suddenly groaned in annoyance as he realized what he was saying. "I must be getting old," Kami, grumbled before waving his hand, causing all the shadows in the room to disappear.

Katsumi simply crossed her arms and looked entirely too smug, but he pretended not to notice.

"Alright here's an offer, I'll send you back exactly the way you are now, but you can't have children and your chakra will be the level of a civilian's," he told her, but Katsumi shook her head.

"No, I want to be able to have kids if I want to, and I need my chakra to fight in the upcoming war," she replied and tapped her foot, waiting on the next offer.

"How about this, I'll send you back exactly as you were when you died, that way everything will be back to normal," Kami offered, but received another negative glare.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kami glanced down at the figure that had been annoying him for nineteen years. "How about I send you back as an Outside creature, like a vampire or werewolf?"

Katsumi winced and shook her head quickly. "You know I don't want to hurt anyone and those are highly dangerous creatures," she retorted, her gold eyes flashing in distaste at the very idea.

Scratching his chin, Kami pondered the situation for a few moments before a large, yet slightly evil looking, smirk slid onto his face. Kami snapped his fingers and a golden scroll appeared in Katsumi's hand.

"There are the terms of the arrangement. I believe you will find _most _of them satisfactory, but I'll let you read over it once you are down there," he told her and turned to walk away.

"Wait-" Katsumi started to protest, but Kami cut her off by snapping his fingers, causing her to disappear in a flash of green light.

"Finally. Maybe now I'll get some peace and quiet," he grinned and disappeared.

…..

The bright sunlight painfully hit Katsumi's eyes when she first opened them, causing her to roll over on her stomach a few moments before she stood up. Looking around, she realized she was in a clearing next to a lake. Birds were singing nearby as a gentle breeze blew through her hair.

Katsumi quickly realized that the area had a different feel to it than what she was used to for the past nineteen years, causing her to grin.

"I'm back," she whispered and then stepped over to the lake.

Kneeling down beside it, she looked at her reflection and was pleased to find that she looked exactly the same as a few hours earlier. She quickly reached out to the water and placed her hand in it, causing the water to shoot up in small pillars.

"I still have my chakra and still look the same. I wonder what the price is for this," Katsumi sighed and then glanced down at the golden scroll still clinched in her hand.

She quickly broke the scroll's seal and unrolled it.

The scroll suddenly dropped to the ground as she froze in horror after reading it. After a few moments Katsumi took a deep breath and picked up the scroll, reading though it once again.

_Shisou Katsumi  
><em>  
><em>I know you are wondering what the catch is to this. As you have noticed by now that you look as you did up here, and that you still have your chakra.<em>

_You can still have kids if you wish, so as you can tell, everything about you is normal. The only thing I did was change your diet._

_You can now only drink human blood. I know you hate causing others pain, so I figured that that this would make a good payment. Here is the fine print on the subject: _

_1. You can only drink from one person at a time, meaning that you can only change donors if said person dies.  
><em>  
><em>2. I've made sure for now that your first donor will be your precious Kakashi-kun. Don't worry, you do not need enough blood that it would kill him, just two pints every four to five days is enough. I've made sure that you are equipped with the tools necessary for the feeding. In simpler words, you have extendable fangs.<em>

_3. As I said, I only changed your diet to that of a vampire, so you are not immortal. Remember this though, you cannot kill yourself to come back here and argue with me again. The only ways you can die is either in battle (no walking in defenseless either), age or illness, or have Kakashi, and only Kakashi, kill you, and we both know what his thoughts on the matter would be._

_Have a nice long life; I really do not want to see you again too soon._

_Yours truly, Kami-sama_

Sighing, Katsumi glanced up at the sky. "You are in so much trouble when I get back," she whispered.

Even though there were no clouds; thunder rumbled across the sky.

Leaning over the lake, Katsumi opened her mouth to find that all her teeth looked normal. After a few moments of concentration though, her top canines slowly extended down into _extremely _sharp points.

Sighing again, Katsumi stood up and let the fangs retract again while thinking back on the conversation with her mother. "I guess I'll be making my debut at the summit meeting," she said and walked over to the tree line. Once there, she stepped into a shadow just before sinking into the ground.

….

Katsumi emerged from the shadows of a building in the land of Iron. Nearby she could see the entrance to the Kage summit, which was surrounded by samurai guards. Katsumi quickly _Henged _her eyes to a normal green before stepping out of the shadows and walking towards the guards.

The samurai immediately spotted her and drew their swords. "State your purpose here and surrender your weapons!" one of the guards commended, pointing a sword at her.

Katsumi quickly raised her hands in surrender. "Take my weapons, but I'm here to see the Rokudaime Hokage, Hatake Kakashi. I have some important information to tell him about Uchiha Madara," she told them calmly.

"State your name and which village you are affiliated with," the guard ordered.

"Konohagakure. My name is Katsumi," she replied.

"No clan name?" the samurai asked suspiciously.

Katsumi nodded. "I have a clan name, but it is an S ranked secret that can only be revealed with the Hokage's permission."

The samurai glanced at each other before nodding. "Very well," the leader nodded.

Three guards stepped forward, two held swords to her neck while the other one search her for weapons, removing her kunai pouches and scrolls.

Afterwards four of the guards and Katsumi headed up the long staircase towards where the Kage meeting was being held.

A few minutes later the samurai stepped forward and opened the door to the meeting room. As Katsumi stepped inside, she could hear the Raikage shouting about hunting down Uchiha Sasuke.

Katsumi quickly spoke to grab their attention. "I'd give Sasuke one more chance, seeing as that I have some information to give him. It will probably bring him back to our side," she explained, causing the samurai general, all the Kages, and the guards to turn and stare at her.

Katsumi watched as the one she instantly recognized as Kakashi, stiffened, and slowly turned to look towards her. She noted that his hair deified gravity even more now and he kept his hitai-ate pulled down over his right eye, leaving just his left eye to stare at her in shock and disbelief.

Katsumi saw him whisper her name, which caused his guard, Shikaku if she remembered correctly, to look at Kakashi in shock.

Smiling, Katsumi addressed her friend for the first time in nineteen years. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Kashi?"

…..

_I can't believe it! I can recognize her chakra signature from here._

"I thought you were dead," Kakashi said quietly, only Shikaku and Katsumi recognizing the shake in his voice.

Mifune narrowed his eyes at her while the other Kages glanced at Kakashi in confusion and curiosity, but turned back to Katsumi when she spoke.

"I had to fake my death to avoid assassination attempts. I've been training on the edge of the element countries for the past nineteen years. I've decided it was finally time for me to return," she replied, her _Henged _green eyes gazing at him intently.

Kakashi suddenly felt something brush against his leg. Glancing around at the other Kages, who were still staring suspiciously at Katsumi, Kakashi took the opportunity to glance down. He quickly noticed a familiar tendril of blackness had worked its way onto his lap, shaping into message meant only for him.

'Play along. I'll explain everything once we are alone.'

Kakashi quickly looked back up, knowing for certain now that it was truly her.

Mifune raised his hand to grab everyone's attention. "Are you here on business for Konohagakure, or does it involve the other villages?" he asked her.

Katsumi tilted her head towards him. "Both," she replied lightly.

The aged samurai nodded slowly. "Very well then; you may continue."

"Arigato, Mifune-sama," Katsumi said with a short bow.

"Drop the _Henge_!" Ao, one of the Raikage's guards, ordered. He had been staring at her intently with his covered Byakugan eye.

Katsumi did not reply or attempt to do so, but instead looked over at Kakashi. "Permission to reveal my true self, Hokage-sama," she asked formally.

_I guess the Sandaime orders would still be in effect..._

"Do you believe that you are capable of defending yourself from any potential attacks now?" Kakashi asked her, watching her with his single eye while fighting the urge to read her chakra strength with his Sharingan.

Katsumi nodded. "Hai. Actually we'll have to spar in ninjutsu sometime, Kashi. I believe I am still on par with you in that area," she replied a grin.

_Oh boy... I kind of look forward to that, but I also dread it if there is going to be witnesses._

"Then I hereby give you permission to tell anyone you wish about your clan name," Kakashi told her, while bracing himself for the others reaction.

"Hold on a moment. I need to check and make sure no one is spying on us," she replied and then closed her eyes with a look of concentration.

"We have five Kages in the room. We would be able to sense if there were any spies," the Tsuchikage said, insulted.

Katsumi did not reply, but frowned a bit as she sensed someone move away as she tried to search for them. After making sure she had run them off, she opened her eyes and glanced at the Kages.

"It's clear for now," Katsumi said with a nod and then released the _Henge_ with a _poof_.

As the clouds dispersed, her true eyes were revealed, causing quite the reaction.

Sand started swirling protectively around Gaara as he and the Raikage stood up, glaring at her.

"Orochimaru, I thought you were dead," the Raikage said as he tensed, ready for an attack.

"That's not Orochimaru," the older Tsuchikage said, sounding slightly worried.

The Mizukage nodded in agreement. "Dark hair, black clothes, gold slitted eyes. Those are the classic traits of the Shisou clan," she said quietly. "I was not the Kage during the First and Second Shinobi wars, but we have many scrolls on the clan seeing as they wiped out thirty percent of our forces on their own."

"But I had heard years ago that the clan had been wiped out!" the Tsuchikage observed, gaining his composure back after a few seconds.

"What is the Shisou clan?" Gaara asked, his sand disappearing for the moment as he sat back down.

"That's what I was wondering as well. Kumogakure has never faced any of their major shinobi clans beside the Hyūga clan" the Raikage explained.

_It's not my place to explain the Shisou clan._

"Katsumi, as the last of the clan and as an adult, you are now clan head, so it is your decision regarding how much to tell them," Kakashi told her, still in awe that she was back.

Katsumi shrugged, her gold eyes glancing at the other Kages. "I can tell them, but I thought you all had gathered to discuss the war with Madara."

"That can wait. I want to know a bit more about this mysterious clan if we are going to believe that you can bring Uchiha Sasuke back. Plus you claim to be the same level as Kakashi, which is Kage level," the Raikage demanded, once again slamming his hand on the table.

Katsumi narrowed her eyes at the order, but nodded. "Fine," she replied and then walked around the table to sit on the arm rest of Kakashi's chair, receiving a small nod of welcome from Shikaku.

_It feels so right to have her back at my side. _

Kakashi's eye took in her older form in a few short moments, noticing the few changes that age had done to her, all of which were good. He forced himself to look away from her cleavage before she noticed his staring.

_I really hope she never finds out about my favorite books. I would really hate to die so soon after she came back._

Katsumi took a deep breath before she began her explanation. "Actually Kazekage-sama, my kekkei genkai is similar to your sand manipulation," she said, causing Gaara to tilt his head towards her.

"As most if you know, the founders of Konoha were Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama . And you also know that Hashirama won the war and Madara fled," she waited a moment for everyone to nod in agreement before continuing. "What you don't know is that centuries before that, the Uchiha's and Senju's were on good terms and many of each clan were marrying each other in hopes of establishing the Wood Release and Sharingan eyes into one clan."

The Mizukage scoffed. "They should have known that they couldn't have controlled the way kekkei genkai are born." she said, hearing mummers of agreement from those around her.

Katsumi merely nodded in agreement. "True, but they tried anyway. One good thing about the two strong kekkei genkai was that it was almost guaranteed that the children would have some ability or another, but the Shisou clan was born instead."

Katsumi motioned to her gold slitted eyes. "When the Uchiha's saw our eyes, they thought we would have a powerful Dōjutsu like them, but instead, the Shisou's eye sight was just really good at night along with just being sharper all together. That was the only sign of any abilities that was shown at first, but then once the Shisou children were able to focus their attention for more than a few moments on one thing, their other ability was revealed."

"Which is?" Gaara asked, curious how it was similar to his ability.

Katsumi grinned and tilted her head towards the wall that was still in shadows due to the lighting. The whole room teased as something started moving as the shadows seemed to lessen. After a few moments the shadows were completely gone and in their place stood a large jet black wolf.

"What kind of jutsu is this? I didn't feel you use any chakra," the Tsuchikage said, looking past his warty nose to scrutinize the wolf.

Katsumi shook her head and held her hand out, causing the wolf to trot over to her and she placed a hand on its head. "It's simple shadow manipulation. Since it's a natural born ability, it's requires little to no chakra. I can control shadows and turn them into solid objects."

Once Katsumi finished her explanation, the whole room was staring at her in shock, except for Kakashi, who was eye-smiling, and Shikaku, who was smirking a bit.

"The possibilities for that... are endless," the Tsuchikage said quietly.

Kakashi nodded and continued eye-smiling. "Katsumi always managed to beat me in most ninjutsu spars because of it," the silver haired Kage told them.

After a few moments of silence at the revelation, The Mizukage spoke up. "Since Orochimaru had the same eyes, did he have the kekkei genkai?"

Katsumi closed her eyes and sighed. "Orochimaru was my first cousin. My grandmother's sister had married someone outside the clan, causing the bloodline to become too thin. Ochi-san only inherited the Shisou eyes and the ability to sense if anyone was in the shadows," she replied and then released her hold on the shadow wolf, allowing it to melt away and the shadows to return to their proper places along the wall.

"Ochi-san?" the red haired Kazekage repeated with an eye twitch.

"One last question and then we'll get on with the purpose of this meeting. We all know that the Nara clan uses shadow jutsu. Are they related too?" the Raikage asked, glancing at the Nara that Kakashi had as a guard.

Katsumi shook her head. "No, the Nara's just used their exceptionally high IQ's to study the Shisou clan's shadow manipulation and make jutsus for some of the abilities, though they can do some things with jutsu that I can't do with shadow manipulation," she explained with a shrug.

The Raikage nodded at the explanation. "Now if you will leave, Shisou-san, we have a meeting to continue," he told her.

_Oh no; I'm not letting her out of my sight._

Before Katsumi could protest, Kakashi spoke up. "Actually, since we are allowed two guards, I wish for her to take position of my second guard," he announced.

The Raikage eyed the newcomer for a moment. "Fine then, back to the matter at hand. How are we going to fight Uchiha Madara? His space-time jutsu along with the Sharingan makes him almost impossible to beat."

"It will have to be a sneak attack that doesn't use chakra and that he can't see coming. Maybe now that Shisou-San is here, she could use her kekkei genkai to kill him once and for all," the Tsuchikage suggested with a slightly condescending tone.

Katsumi winced slightly, but did not protest. "I'll be happy to help in any way I can, but I doubt I could kill him with one blow. He would just use his _Izanagi_ ability to get out of it and then start watching for me from then on. Please don't ask how I know this, but Madara has already used _Izanagi_ once and lost an eye. But he has replaced it now with a Rinnegan eye," she informed them, earning disbelieving looks.

"The Rinnegan is just a myth. And what in the world is _Izanagi_?" the Tsuchikage asked, narrowing his small eyes.

"The Rinnegan does exist; the former leader of the Akatsuki possessed it. As for _Izanagi_… I have no clue," Kakashi replied, knowing the other Kages would not be as quick to dismiss him.

Katsumi sighed, trying to decide how much to tell without saying how she knew it. Finally she just decided to tell them and if they wanted to know she would tell them that her sources were classified.

"_Izanagi_ is a kinjutsu that transforms reality into a genjutsu for a short time, so even if I landed a killing blow on Madara. He could use _Izanagi_ and come out unscathed. The cost of it though is high. For each time it's used, one of his Sharingan goes blind," she explained and then crossed her arms, sending everyone a death glare worthy of the Uchiha's, daring them to even try ask how she knew so many details.

The glare must have been quite effective, because none of the Kages questioned her.

"I do have an idea of how to take out Madara's space-time jutsu," Katsumi added after a few minutes of more arguments.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask.

_With the mentors she's had access to over the years it's not a surprise that she has an idea. I wonder how much she knows about what has happened while she has been gone._

"Then let's hear it," the Mizukage told her, interrupting Kakashi's thoughts.

Katsumi nodded to her and then turned to the other Kages. "Seals can be quite powerful, but we know that with Madara's knowledge and power that he would be able to remove or disrupt a chakra suppression seal. So we need to use a seal specifically made for him that he won't be able to remove without weeks of studying," she said, looking around to notice that others had nodded in agreement.

_She must have been training with Minato-sensei and Kushina-sensei. Only they would consider using seals first thing in a major war._

"I assume you already have a seal in mind?" Kakashi asked, for once completely serious.

Nodding, Katsumi held her hand over the table, creating a small shadow. The shadow darkened and rose up off the table, forming into intricate swirls and kanji writing. "If we can place this seal on Madara's skin, he won't be able to use his space-time jutsu," she explained, enlarging it and turning it so everyone could see it.

All of the Kages knew a bit about seals, so they were highly impressed from what they could understand.

"Did you come up with this by yourself?" the Raikage asked her as he leaned forward to get a better look at the seal.

"No, but my sensei was a seals master and when my contacts informed me of the war he came up with this seal," Katsumi said in a voice that left no room for questions.

None of them tried to ask and soon started making more plans for the war.

…..

Uchiha Madara was talking to Kabuto when the black side of Zetsu rose out of the ground nearby.

"What are you doing back so soon, Zetsu?" Madara asked, his Sharingan and Rinnegan eyes staring intently from behind his mask.

"Someone else showed up at the meeting about an hour ago. I was never able to get a good look at them though because I could _feel _something searching for me. I quickly moved out of its sensory range, but whatever it was never retreated enough for me to go back," he replied in his rough voice.

Madara narrowed his eyes. "Most likely it was just a type a sensory nin they brought in for precaution. We'll continue with our plan. For now go check up on Sasuke-kun and makes sure he hasn't become impatient about removed his bandages," the masked Uchiha ordered before turning back to Kabuto as Zetsu sank back into the ground.

"A sensory nin that can detect Zetsu-san must be quite powerful," Kabuto observed, his snake-like tail slowly sweeping back and forth.

"Hn. Sensory nin are not much of a problem in battle," Madara replied. "Now, you were about to explain the details of _Impure World Resurrection_..."

…..

The meeting continued on for a few days, the Kages trying to come up with a strategy to be able to get the seal on Madara, but getting nowhere.

One thing Kakashi did notice though was that Katsumi was acting strange whenever they took a break for a food. She would eat, but he noticed a small black vortex in the palm of her hand that the food would disappear into as she raised it to her mouth.

When Kakashi raised an eyebrow in question, she simply shrugged and glanced away.

_What is she up to? She wouldn't be worried about the food being poisoned or else she would stop me from eating too._

"Enough! I think we should take off for three days and then come back when our minds are refreshed," the Mizukage suggested, earning nods of agreement.

"Before we go I would like Shisou-san to answer one question," the Raikage suddenly said.

Katsumi tilted her head towards him. "What is it?"

"What are you planning to tell Uchiha Sasuke that will bring him back to Konoha?"

Katsumi closed her eyes and shook her head. "All I can tell you is that I have a message for him. I can't guarantee that it will bring him back, but at least it should sever his ties to Madara and allow us to only have to focus on fighting one Uchiha," she replied.

The Raikage simply scratched his chin and nodded; seeing her point about one less enemy.

After arranging what time to meet again, the Kages and their guards quickly departed, soon leaving only Shikaku, Kakashi, and Katsumi in the room.

_I wonder if she will explain yet?_

Kakashi kept a close eye on his newly revived friend before mentally shaking his head.  
><em><br>No, she'll let me know when she is ready._

Katsumi was sending glances towards Kakashi, and he could tell that she wanted to say something, but was avoiding it.

"Shall we go back to Konoha?" Katsumi finally asked, her slitted eyes darting between Shikaku and Kakashi.

"Konoha is quite far from here. So I assume by your offer you must have mastered shadow traveling… with passengers," Shikaku observed, arching an eyebrow.

"How much chakra will it cost you though?" Kakashi asked, sounding a bit worried.

Shrugging, Katsumi led her comrades over to the shadows of the doorway. "Traveling by myself only requires about the same amount of chakra _Kawarimi _does, but with two people outside of the Shisou clan the chakra requirement is about what one _Kage Bunshin _cost, which still is not that much for me," she explained and then held her hands out for the other two to hold on to. "I know you are wondering how I'm alive, but I will explain tomorrow once I get settled in and get some sleep," Katsumi added as Kakashi and Shikaku gripped her hands, though Kakashi used a bit more force than necessary, as if to make sure she did not disappear.

_Soon I will know if she is here to stay, or if this is a very good (or bad) dream._

Kakashi eye-smiled at her before she grinned and the trio merged into the shadows.

* * *

><p><em>Okay, first off on the whole Kami resurrection deal. The Kami I used is kind of like the one you see in fanfictions where it's more of a humor fic or where a character has a bad day, looks up at the sky and shouts 'What else are you going to throw at me?' and it starts pouring down rain. lol<em>

_Also I believe Kami resurrected her for his own amusement to annoy Fate or something like that. It really isn't a major part of the story, but it was just needed. Moving on..._

_Reaction to Katsumi's appearance: Kakashi knows Nagato resurrected many Konoha shinobi, so someone being back from the dead isn't that big of a shock. The fact that it's Katsumi is what surprises him, but he an't let the other Kages know it or she could be used against him at some point. We'll get the full explaination and reaction next chapter... lol, Gai will be very happy._

_Here's what is AU so far: Sasuke did not attack the Kage summit, but Madara made his appearance. When the other Kages found out Danzō was controlling Mifune, they kicked him out and Kakashi was elected as Kage as in canon. Sasuke attacked and killed Danzō after he fled from the summit, so the other Kages were not involved and have no reason to be angry at him. Madara mentioned that he still needed Naruto and Killer Bee, so the Raikage is only mad at Sasuke for trying to take Killer Bee and knows where Killer Bee is hiding._

_Naruto has not met Killer Bee yet and most of the shinobi are still in the village doing repairs, plus preparing for war. _

_I think the village should be pretty close to being rebulit (some places still need to be filled and furnished though). There are the earth elemental shinobi that can fill in the crater, grass can be replanted, and they have Yamato for crying out loud! He can make rows of buildings with his wood release (granted, he would have to take many breaks. lol)._

_Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and alerts! _

_I've posted a link to Katsumi's picture on my profile. I wish I could've drawn it, but I did the best I could with photoshop._

_For those who haven't checked out my other stories, I do have a one-shot crackfic for Orochimaru and Sasuke. Check it out if you want a good laugh._

_I have the main plotline laid out already, but if you have anything you'd like to see happen in the story, send me a PM or leave it in a review. If I can come up with a logical explaination, then I'll see if I can work it in. At the moment it doesn't look lik this will be a long fic chapter wise (word count though is averaging 5k a chapter) but I wouldn't mind an excuse to stretch it out, though I do have plans for another AU fic like this I could fits some ideas into._

_I like turning bad guys good in an in character manner... so I'll eventually take the ultimate challenge of getting into Orochimaru's mind with an AU fic of Katsumi returning sooner, but it will have a completely different plotline and be Ochi-san centric :D It'll be after I finish this one before I start on it though._

_*Hands a virtual cookie to those who read all that*_


	4. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews and alerts!**

**This was one of my most favorite chapters to write :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but Katsumi. If I could buy Kakashi and Itachi though I would in a heartbeat. lol**

* * *

><p>A short time later Katsumi and her two passengers emerged from the shadows in the forest near the village gate. She was still holding onto Kakashi and Shikaku, which was the only thing keeping them upright at the moment.<p>

"I never want to do that again," Shikaku said as he rubbed his temples.

"I second that," Kakashi agreed, straightening up.

The trip had been fast, but from the shadows everything was in the shades of black, white, and grey and moved by at an amazing rate, causing dizziness for those without sharper vision.

_Next time we travel like that I'm either closing my eyes or uncovering my Sharingan._

Kakashi took a deep breath and then turned to Shikaku. "You are dismissed until we are ready to go back."

Shikaku nodded and bowed. "Hai, Kakashi-sama," he replied, causing Kakashi to roll his eye.

"I told you to quit calling me that. This is only temporary," the copy nin said with a sigh.

Shikaku merely smirked before turning to Katsumi. "It's great have you back, Katsumi-san. I know we didn't talk that much before, but all of us that knew you were quite distraught when we found out that you had died. I'm eager to hear how you managed to back," he told her before vanishing via _Shunshin_.

Katsumi sent Kakashi a questioning glance. "He doesn't know?"

_This should be an interesting few days..._

"I'll explain later. For now you can stay at my apartment. The living areas have already been rebuilt," he told her and once she agreed to it they started running into the village with Kakashi in front.

_She is being awfully quiet... I wonder what's wrong?_

As they passed some of the other shinobi, the Chūnins and Genins gave Katsumi curious and slightly worried glances due to her eyes, while nodding respectfully to Kakashi. When they passed a group of Jōnins though, some of them saw Katsumi and their eyes widened in shock as they recognized her.

Noticing the looks his comrade was getting, Kakashi left a shadow clone with the Jōnins, instructing it to tell them to not mention seeing Katsumi to anyone else until she decides to announce that she is back.  
><em><br>The last thing I need the whole village going crazy because she is back, especially if she is only going to have to leave again._

Kakashi finally came to a stop at the newly rebuilt apartment buildings and glanced back at Katsumi, only to notice that she was smiling a bit and had a teasing twinkle in her gold eyes.

_I'm glad to see that she looks a bit more like her old self, but I don't like that look in her eyes..._

"What?" Kakashi asked, sweat-dropping a bit.

Katsumi's grin switched to a smirk. "Why aren't you living in the Hokage's mansion, Hokage-sama?"

Rolling his eyes, Kakashi mentally sighed. "As I told Shikaku, this is only temporary and I also forbid you to call me that," he replied, eye-smiling once again.

Katsumi snorted and turned to walk up the steps. "Whatever you say, Kashi," she said over her shoulder.

Smiling underneath his mask, the _temporary _Hokage moved to follow her and then led her to his apartment on the fourth floor.

Kakashi unlocked the door and held it open, allowing Katsumi to step inside first. He followed after her, before turning to shut and lock the door behind him.

As soon as Kakashi turned back around, he was embraced in what would be a bone breaking hug to a weaker person.

"It's great to see you again, Kakashi." He heard Katsumi whisper before she lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at him with a few tears running down the side of her cheeks.

It was then that Kakashi realized two things: 1. He was now three inches taller than her. And 2. She was crying which was one thing he had only seen her do once before, and that was when her mother was killed.

Kakashi wrapped his arms around her in a rare show of affection and returned the hug. "You have no idea how much I've missed you," Kakashi whispered in her ear.  
><em><br>Which is so true and I didn't realize it myself until she returned._

After what could have been minutes or hours, the two finally broke apart and Kakashi motioned to the kitchen table.

Katsumi sat down while Kakashi pulled a chair around to sit close and facing her, but not invading personal space.

"So how were you able to come back?" he asked her, his curiosity at its peak.

Sighing, Katsumi rubbed the back of her neck and stared at the table before suddenly looking back up and tilting her head. "Before I do… take it off. I've already seen it so it shouldn't matter much," she told him, narrowing her slitted eyes.

_What- Oh I guess she is right._

Kakashi reached up and pulled his mask down, sending her a smile as he did so. "Alright, now explain," he said, noticing a light blush reddened her cheeks for a moment.

Her emotion control impressed him, while the blush made him feel strangely satisfied.

_Why in the world am I thinking that? She is a close friend, that's it._

"I have one more question. Why didn't Shikaku seem to know what really happened?" Katsumi asked carefully.

Sighing, Kakashi met her eyes before replying. "Sarutobi-sama decided to let only Gai, Orochimaru, Kushina, and Minato know what really happened. Everyone else was to be told that you had died on the mission. He was hoping to make it easier on me."

He looked down and clenched his fist tightly until Katsumi placed her hand over it, causing him to look back up and meet her eyes, which reminded him so much of Orochimaru.

"Kashi, it was an accident and I told you back then not to blame yourself," she reminded him.

"It's easier said than done. Enough about me; now it's your turn," Kakashi insisted, gazing intently at her with his right eye.

Nodding, Katsumi leaned back in the chair, tilting her head up to stare at the ceiling. "Once I... died, I decided that I would keep training. In Heaven you can chose to continue on as if life hadn't changed, age or not age, or keep watching what happens down here," she said and then tilted her head back down to look at Kakashi.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to greet you when you died during Pain's invasion. At that moment I was trying to talk Kami into sending me back and when I finally heard what had happened, you had been revived by Nagato," Katsumi explained.

_I had wondered where she was. I was afraid she had gone somewhere else._

"It's alright, but did you talk to many others while you were up there?"

Katsumi smiled, to Kakashi's relief, and nodded. "Hai. I trained under a few of the first Shisou clan members, my mom, Kushina-sensei, and Minato-sensei. I also occasionally spoke to Obito-kun and Rin-chan," she told him and them grinned. "Obito has a message for you."  
><em><br>Obito? I wonder if he is mad at me for what happened and that I couldn't protect Rin...  
><em>  
>"What is it?" Kakashi asked, slightly worried.<p>

"He said to tell you, 'Some of those excuses for being late are the worst he's ever heard and that you need to raise your standards'," Katsumi said with a short laugh, causing Kakashi to smile.  
><em><br>I guess he and Rin have been keeping an eye on me. It seems neither of them has mentioned my reading obsession, or else Katsumi would have already brought it up._

"So did Kami finally decide to send you back, or did you have to find another way?"

As he asked the question, Kakashi notice Katsumi's shoulders drop as she sighed. She was about to reply when her stomach suddenly growled.

Kakashi felt like smacking himself on the head, as he remembered that she had not eaten anything during the Kage meeting. "Sorry. I should have offered you something to eat as soon as we arrived," he quickly apologized and started to get up, but stopped when she grabbed his arm.

Katsumi gazed at him with sad eyes before she continued speaking. "I was able to talk him into it, but he sent me back before I could read over the terms, which he knew I wouldn't agree to," she said and then pulled a golden scroll out of her pocket, handing to him.

Kakashi glanced at her curiously as he took the scroll and unrolled it, his eye widening as he read through it.

_No wonder she is acting so depressed! Kami must have known how she would feel about this._

Kakashi clenched his jaw in determination.

_I don't care if she needs blood now. I took her life before, so now maybe I can repay it a bit._

He was so lost in thought that he did not notice Katsumi watching him with worried eyes until she spoke.

"I should leave," she said quietly and stood up.

That got his attention and he quickly moved between her and the door, knowing she could just disappear if she really wanted to leave though.

"Please stay, Kat," Kakashi told her quietly and she sighed, staring at the floor.

"But I don't want to hurt you," Katsumi replied and started to step around him.  
><em><br>I hate to do this, but I'll have to play my trump card._

Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder. "It would hurt me more if you leave; besides, I'm not going to let you starve to death."

Just as he thought, she stiffened a moment before nodding with a sigh. "Alright, I'll stay."

Kakashi smiled and placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head up to look at him. "I think you forget that I'm a Kage level shinobi. A little blood donation will not be a problem at all," he reminded her.

He stepped back a moment and unzipped his flax jacket and slid it off. Once he laid it down Kakashi motioned for her to come closer as he pulled his mask further down so that more of his neck was exposed.

Katsumi smirked a bit and then mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "Men and their egos".

She stepped forward and suddenly was the same height as Kakashi. He glanced down and noticed a small black platform had formed beneath her feet. Once he looked back up though, his thoughts were completely focused on the fangs that had suddenly appeared in Katsumi's mouth.

_No wonder she was worried about hurting me. Those things would put the Inuzuka clan to shame._

Thanks to many years of training, Kakashi stayed nonchalant as Katsumi took another step towards him as she placed one hand on the left side of his neck and wrapped her other around his shoulder.

Kakashi's arms rose up on their own accord and held her close as she leaned in until he could feel her warm breath on his neck.

"Please tell me if it hurts or if you start feeling dizzy," Katsumi told him quietly.

_I bet Jiraiya-sama is somewhere watching this while giggling like a school girl. Though I could see how it would be an interesting plot twist for some of his books-_

Kakashi's thoughts were cut off as Katsumi suddenly bit down and he felt a sharp pain traveling down his back and arms.

_I'm an idiot. There are sensitive nerves in the neck and those fangs are long enough to reach them._

To keep from tensing at the pain, Kakashi distracted himself with the thought that his friend had finally returned. He slowly curled her long hair around his fingers while he waited for her to finish, silently wondering why she kept it down all the time now.

A few minutes later he felt Katsumi retract her fangs as she licked the bite marks one last time, causing Kakashi to shiver.

_Now I'm really starting to get annoyed at the Ichi Ichi books if they are going to make me react this way all the time._

Kakashi removed his arms from around Katsumi as she took a step back.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her gold eyes showing deep concern.  
><em><br>Eh, I feel a bit tired, but there is no way I'm telling her that._

"I'm great," he told her with both a normal smile and an eye-smile.

Katsumi rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't tell me even if I begged you," she replied and then glanced at the fang marks, frowning as a few drops of blood flowed out of the holes.

"Let me fix that," Katsumi said and her hand started glowing green with healing chakra as she placed it on his neck.

"You've learned to be a medic nin?" Kakashi asked in surprise as he felt the wound stitch itself together.

Katsumi nodded as she removed her hand and he reached up to his neck to feel completely smooth skin.

"My kekkei genkai allows great chakra control and larger chakra stores, so it makes sense for me to learn to use healing chakra. I'm not a head medic, but I can heal minor wounds easily," she explained, her tone and posture returning to normal once she was sure that Kakashi was alright. "You should take a blood restoration pill," Katsumi added after a moment.  
><em><br>She has a point, especially if I'm going to do that every few days._

"Good point," he agreed with a nod and then stepped into his bedroom, grabbing a medical kit out of the dresser.

Quickly finding the pills, Kakashi swallowed one and then left the bottle out where he could reach it easily.

As Kakashi entered the kitchen again, he found that Katsumi had sat back down and was waiting patiently on him like always, arms crossed as she leaned back into the chair.

_If she can use medical jutsu now…_

Kakashi sat back down and propped his elbow on the table. "I was wondering; if you have the skills required for medical jutsu; why can't you use genjutsu?" he asked curiously as he pulled his hitai-ate down tighter around his left eye.

Katsumi grinned; her slitted eyes filled with pride. "Actually I can use some genjutsu now, but nothing really strong. It turns out that a few of the Shisou clan were genjutsu experts, though it still wasn't enough when it came to the massacre," she told him while saying the last part in a darker tone.

Kakashi narrowed his eye. "Do you now know what happened to them?"

Nodding, Katsumi sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Yeah, but I'll explain it at one time to you and Tsunade-sama once she wakes up. I don't know about you, but it's been a long few days," she said with a tired sigh.

Kakashi nodded and stood up. "Let's get some sleep, you can have the bed-" he started to offer but stopped when Katsumi shook her head.

"I'm not kicking you out of your bed," she protested and then stood up, walking towards the corner of the living room where it joined the kitchen.

Katsumi did not even have to move to make the shadows start forming together, and soon they formed a jet black bed. She placed her hand on it and set it with a surge of chakra.

"Won't that be hard?" Kakashi asked her as he eyed the bed.

"Nope," she replied with a smile and then sat down on it, causing it to sink down like a regular mattress.

_To be able to control the density like that is amazing. I'm eager to learn what else she can do, but that can wait until another day._

Kakashi stepped towards his bed room, pausing at the door to look back. "Get some sleep, we'll have a long day tomorrow," he said with a smile.

Katsumi smiled back and nodded. "Hai. Night, Kashi."

"Goodnight, Katsumi," he replied and disappeared into his room.

_She is back for good. This is going to change a lot of plans, but in a good way._

…_._

The next day Kakashi and Katsumi were headed into the village to find Gai.

_I just hope she is prepared for his welcome hug…_

Katsumi looked over at him with her gold eyes narrowed against the bright morning sun. "Shouldn't you be in the Hokage's office doing paper work?" she asked him curiously.

Kakashi glanced at her and sighed before forming a hand sign. A shadow clone _poofed _into existence beside him and it took off towards the newly built Hokage tower. "It's taken care of," he said with an eye smile, having put his mask back on before leaving the apartment that morning.

_Does she really think I would leave her and Gai alone together? Especially if Rock Lee is with Gai too… someone needs to protect village from their power of youth rants._

"Come on, I think I heard Team Gai say something about getting the training grounds rebuilt," he told her and they jumped onto a nearby building before racing to the training areas.

It did not take them long to locate Team Gai once they neared the areas. Shouts about ridiculous goals could be heard quite easily. Kakashi and Katsumi shared a glance before the re-united K team dropped down onto the field and walked towards the other four shinobi.

Neji and Tenten were sweat dropping as they watched the two green beasts compete to carry the most logs at one time, with Gai winning of course.

As Gai set his pile of logs down after moving them across the clearing, he turned and gave Rock Lee a thumb up with his teeth flashing. "You did well my most youthful student! Next time we shall add five more logs to the stack!"

Rock Lee smiled. "Yosh! If I cannot carry them... I shall do one thousand push-ups with them on my back! And if I cannot do that I'll-"

"Lee! Enough already," Neji said and then looked towards Katsumi and Kakashi. "We have company," he told them.

_I'm glad Neji stops them most of the time, but I can't believe he hasn't gone insane or joined them yet._

All four of them started to bow to Kakashi, but he just waved them off. "Guys, I want you to meet an old friend of mine," he said, watching as Gai stared at Katsumi with his mouth open in shock.

Kakashi quickly glanced at Katsumi and was grateful to notice shadows moving off the ground to slip under her clothes, hopefully to form a shield. Looking back at Gai, Kakashi noticed that he still had not moved and that the rest of his team was starting to appear worried.

"Katsumi?" Gai said in disbelief, causing Katsumi to smile and nod.

"It's great to finally see you again, Gai," she told him while slowly bracing herself.

Kakashi side-stepped away from her. "It's really her Gai. She showed up during the Kage meeting," he explained.

Gai suddenly disappeared and the next moment he had her in a bone breaking hug. "Katsumi-chan! Your most youthful flames burn brightly once again. This must be the most glorious day of my life!" Gai shouted as tears streamed down his face.

Rock Lee also started crying for the simple fact that his sensei was crying, while Tenten looked totally confused.

Several cracks suddenly seem to emit from Katsumi as she grunted. "My flames of youth still need air to survive, Gai."

Kakashi winced as he heard the cracks.

_Hopefully that was just the shield breaking. Gai can be ridiculously strong when he decides to hug someone._

The Green Beast of Konoha quickly released her and took a step back. "How is this possible?" Gai asked, looking down at her. He was four inches taller than her now.

Katsumi motioned for him to follow her as she walked over to some logs to sit down. "Let's have a seat and I'll explain…"

As Gai moved to follow her, Neji stepped up beside Kakashi. "Who is she?" he asked, keeping his pale eyes on Katsumi.

Kakashi glanced at the Hyūga, before turning back to watch Katsumi. "She is my closest friend. We grew up together and graduated together. Gai is her other best friend and the three of us tended to hang out a lot when we were younger," Kakashi explained.

The three shinobi stared at him in shock, but Tenten was the first to speak up though.

"Gai-sensei told us that you graduated when you were five. Does that mean Katsumi-san is a prodigy like you?" the weapons specialist asked.

Kakashi watched as Gai nodded quickly to something Katsumi told him before asking a question of his own.

_They are going to be a little bit, so I might as well explain it to them._

"She graduated early because of her skills in taijutsu and ninjutsu. While I could beat her most of the time in taijutsu, she could defeat me more often in ninjutsu," Kakashi admitted.

Neji arched one eyebrow. "But you have copied over one thousand jutsu. I know you didn't have the Sharingan when you were that age, but why couldn't you beat her?"

"I could not win most of the time because of her kekkei genkai. She is the last descendant of one of the most powerful and feared clans in Konoha," he replied, watching in amusement as Lee, Tenten, and Neji stared at Katsumi once again.

"Those eyes…" Neji said quietly as he turned back to Kakashi for conformation.

_It doesn't surprise me that he was the first one to figure it out. The Hyūga clan probably has plenty of scrolls on the other clans._

Kakashi nodded once and eye-smiled. "Hai. Katsumi is the last of the Shisou clan."

_That_ grabbed Rock Lee's and Tenten's attention as they stared in shock.

"But Kakashi-sama, we were told at the academy that the last of the clan had been killed nearly two decades ago. How is it that she is still alive?" Rock Lee asked him, his eyes full of wonder at the thought of meeting one of his sensei's friends.

Kakashi inwardly winced as Lee unknowingly reminded him that he had been the one to kill Katsumi. "Katsumi told the _other Kages _that she faked her own death to avoid assassination attempts and that she's been training on the edge of the elemental countries until now," he said, stressing the part about the Kages.

Neji sent him a knowing look. "But what did she tell _you_?"

_Eh, I don't want to tell them something that they will hear a bit later._

Shrugging, Kakashi glanced at the three young shinobi. "I'm going to call a meeting of all the shinobi to welcome her back and explain what happened, but for now I believe you should be more worried about her personality," he said with a mysterious eye-smile.

"I'm on the team with Gai-sensei and Rock Lee. I highly doubt her personality is going to be an issue," Neji replied dryly.

"Then I guess you wouldn't mind another person like Gai or Rock Lee."

Kakashi took a moment to savor the expression of disbelief and horror that over took Tenten and Neji. Rock Lee of course looked as if he would explode from happiness.

"Katsumi-san must burn with the brightest flames of youth to be at Gai-sensei's level. I cannot wait until we all can participate in a challenge to fan our-" Lee's shouting was cut off thanks to Tenten covering his mouth with an irritated glare.  
><em><br>I'm starting to fear for the sanity of all those around him and Gai. Thankfully Katsumi knows when to stop though, or else it would be a disaster._

Kakashi smiled under his mask as Gai and Katsumi stood up and walked back towards them.

Gai came to a stop in front of his former students as he gripped Katsumi's shoulder. "Neji, Tenten, Lee, I want you all to meet my close childhood friend, Katsumi," he said with a flashing smile.

The younger shinobi quickly bowed to her. "It's an honor to meet you. Shisou-san," Tenten said, glad to meet another skilled kunoichi.

Smiling, Katsumi motioned for them to stand straight. "Please, just call me Katsumi. It's a pleasure to finally meet the youthful students of Gai," she replied, causing Tenten and Neji to sweat drop at the word "youthful".

Neji gazed at her for few moments as evaluated her movement and chakra signature, quickly realizing that she was at or near Kakashi's level. "I had read that the Shisou clan had inherited many Uchiha traits, but the only one I see is your hair, Katsumi-san."

"Hn."

Neji eye-twitched and muttered, "Never mind."

Rock Lee was suddenly standing in front of her. "Katsumi-san! Your flames of youth burn quite brightly! I challenge you to a race around Konoha!"  
><em><br>I totally saw this coming, but Katsumi doesn't stand a chance against Rock Lee in a fair race. Gai is the only one that can match his speed without using jutsus or chakra._

Katsumi laughed and shook her head in amusement. "If you are anything like Gai was when he was your age, I don't stand a chance."

Tenten face palmed. "Lee, Katsumi-san is an elite shinobi. She doesn't have time to-"

"But I'll do it," Katsumi said with a grin, though it was surprising only to Tenten and Neji.

Kakashi chuckled and raised his hand. "I'll say when to start."  
><em><br>She must be proving a point to him._

Katsumi adjusted her stance to get ready. "The rules, Lee-kun?"

Lee pumped his fist in the air. "Yosh! The only rule is that you have to race along the edge of the village wall, and come back here!" he said excitedly and dropped into a ready position.

Unfortunately, Rock Lee missed seeing Katsumi's smirk as Kakashi dropped his hand and said, "Go!"

Lee took off running and disappeared, leaving only a dust trail in his wake.

"Excuse me, Kashi," Katsumi said and suddenly jumped head first into his shadow, disappearing into as if it was simply water.

Gai stared at where she disappeared for a moment before laughing. "Katsumi was always a sly one," he said and shook his head in amusement.

"So that is the power of the Shisou clan," Neji observed as Tenten stared in awe.

It was not long before Katsumi suddenly jumped out of Gai's shadow. She stepped forward and moved back to where the starting line had been.

"Lee-kun is quite fast," she commented to Gai.

Gai nodded and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hai, but I still need to work on details with him. Fortunately he easily remembers most of the things I tell him."

Not too long after that, Lee suddenly reappeared and stared at Katsumi in disbelief as he breathed deeply for a few moments to catch his breath. "How is this possible?"

Katsumi smiled and lifted one finger. "Remember this: Always thoroughly check the details of an agreement, or your opponent can find loopholes to use against you. You only said we had had to race along the wall, which I did, but from the shadows where my speed is unmatched." she explained, her gold eyes filled with amusement.

"Such amazing advice! I must remember this! I apologize, Gai-sensei, but I must write this down!" Lee said with tears of joy as he pulled out a worn book and started writing.

_I have a feeling that this kind of thing will happen a lot now. Eh, I guess it can't be helped._

"Well, I have a mission for the four of you," Kakashi said, grabbing Team Gai's attention. "Go tell all the other shinobi to gather here at the training grounds at four o'clock this evening. Just say that I have a special announcement to make," he ordered.

"Hai!" Team Gai said in unison before darting off.

"Are you going to want me to explain it to them?" Katsumi asked, turning to Kakashi after the others were gone.

The masked Hokage shook his head. "No, I'm just going to tell them the basic parts of it for now."

Katsumi sighed and closed her eyes, opening them slowly after a few moments. "Alright, but do not tell anyone else about my change of diet," she said firmly, not caring that she was speaking that way to the Hokage.

_I expected that..._

Kakashi nodded and gazed at her seriously with his single eye. "If that is your decision I will respect it. Do keep in mind though that once Tsunade-sama wakes up it would probably best to inform her, so that we won't be separated too long by missions," he told her as he silently sighed at the thoughts of the upcoming war.

_That reminds me, I have some other things to talk to her about…_

Kakashi narrowed his eye as he suddenly felt his _kage bunshin _expire to give him some news. "I'm needed at the Hokage's office. Are you coming with me?" he asked Katsumi, who nodded.

They both used _Shunshin_ at the same time, Kakashi gone in a swirl of leaves, and Katsumi engulfed in black smoke.

* * *

><p>I really enjoyed reading over this chapter again before I posted it. :)<p>

Read and review please!


	5. Chapter 3

**I really had a good laugh writing this chapter and I hope you do too. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>Katsumi stayed hidden in the shadows while the ANBU team reported back to Kakashi, saying that they had a good idea of the general area that Uchiha Madara's hideout was located.<p>

The ANBU left right after Kakashi thanked and dismissed them, allowing Katsumi to step out of the shadows.

"They didn't even notice you there. Is there anyone outside the Shisou clan that can detect you in the shadows?" Kakashi asked her once she sat down on the edge of his desk.

Katsumi nodded and sighed. "Yes. Any well trained sensory shinobi will be able to sense my chakra in the shadows, but it is so spread out that it is hard to pinpoint, so they would just believe that they are being surrounded. Those with Sharingan or Byakugan eyes can spot my chakra easier, but if I know they are watching, I'm able to spread it out even more so they won't know where I'll attack from," she explained and ran her fingers through her hair.

_Hm… That means Madara will be able to see her coming unless he is preoccupied with other attacks. We do not want him knowing she is alive until the last moment._

Kakashi leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "I've been meaning to ask you. What do you have to say to Sasuke?" he asked her.

"That is something I'm only supposed to tell to Sasuke, but I can tell you this… It's a message from Itachi," Katsumi told him with a smile.

Kakashi stared at her in shock. "Itachi? How is it possible he was in Heaven?" he asked, stunned at the thought.

"Itachi was not as bad as everyone thought. He was always loyal to Konoha," Katsumi told Kakashi and then proceeded to explain what happened with Danzō, the Council, and Madara.

Kakashi sunk into his chair with a sigh. "It makes sense, but whenever we would end up fighting him... His attacks were always deadly. I ended up in a coma from his Tsukuyomi," he said, wondering what the explanation for that was, but after a moment he closed his eye in thought.

_This changes a lot of things._

"...Now that I think about it, Gai told me that after Itachi used Tsukuyomi that it drained him and seemed to injure his eyes. Afterwards they were forced to flee. He did it to avoid causing any real injury and so that he and Kisame would have an excuse to flee, right?" Kakashi asked after a few moments.

Smiling, Katsumi nodded. "See? They named you Hokage for more than just your strength," she said, reaching over and ruffling his silver hair.

Kakashi playfully swatted her hand away before glancing at the clock. "We should head back to the training field," he told her.

"Hai, I'm going to stay hidden until the right moment. I do not want anyone mistaking me for somebody possessed by Ochi-san," she said with a quiet sigh.

_I knew this would come up eventually._

Kakashi stood up and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Orochimaru was too far gone. I doubt he would have changed even if you had made it back from the mission," he told her.

Katsumi glanced up at him with sad eyes and nodded. "I know," she said and stepped away from him and into the shadows next to the wall. "We should go," she told Kakashi and then melted into the shadows.

_Nineteen years can change a lot, but hopefully she can still bounce back from things. I do understand how she still considered him family though._

Kakashi quickly made another _kage bunshin _to stay in the tower before he headed off to the training grounds.

….

The Rokudaime Hokage looked over the group of gathered shinobi as he stood on top of a pile of logs at the training ground. Kakashi was slightly surprised to see Sakura and Shizune, but he took it as a sign that Tsunade was stable enough to be left with just the medics from the hospital. All of the Konoha Eleven were standing together towards the center of the group, but Kakashi was also surprised to see a few ANBU were present also.

_Might as well get this over with._

Kakashi stood with one hand in his pocket and raised his other hand to let all of the shinobi know that he was ready to speak, which caused all whispering in the clearing to cease.

"Kakashi-sensei! You're actually on time!" Naruto shouted in amazement, which earned chuckles throughout the crowd from those that knew him well.

The Hokage sighed and shook his head in amusement before speaking. "I know many of you are wondering why I called you all together, but I can assure you that I actually have good news to share," he said, noticing some of the gathered shinobi exchange glances. "Some of you may remember that when I graduated from the academy, that I was teamed up with my friend and comrade, Shisou Katsumi."

The older Jōnins looked startled when he mentioned her name, probably wondering where Kakashi was going with this. The few that had seen Katsumi with him the other night just nodded to themselves.

Kakashi suppressed a sigh as he thought a moment about how to proceed. "For those of the younger generation that doesn't know, Katsumi was the last of the Shisou clan, which was feared as much as the Uchiha clan at one point. She was killed nineteen years ago during a mission when we were attacked by two Iwa shinobi-"

Naruto, being Naruto, suddenly spoke up again. "What are you getting at Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura immediately punched him, telling him to shut up and listen.

Kakashi could not help but eye-smile at their antics.

_Ah, some things never change when it comes to teammates._

"My point is... Shisou Katsumi has been resurrected thanks to her determination to annoy Kami-sama for the past nineteen years."

The only sound he could hear at the moment was some birds singing in the distance.

Hiashi, head of the Hyūga clan, was the first to speak up. "The return of such a powerful kekkei genkai is great news, but why hasn't she appeared yet? I know for a fact she is nearby," he said, gaining curious stares from many of the Chūnins and Genins.

Kakashi nodded to him, acknowledging his question. "She just wanted to be sure that she wouldn't be mistaken for Orochimaru," he explained.

"Why would we think she is Orochimaru? We all know he was killed by Sasuke," Kiba said from where he was standing next his dog, Akamaru.

"It's because our eyes looked so much alike, except his was a shade greener while mine are pure gold," Katsumi answered as she rose up from the shadows next to Kakashi, her slitted eyes scanning the crowd calmly, though Kakashi could tell she was slightly nervous about being in front of so many people.

_I guess this is the first time she has been with so many people at once, from what she told me it sounds like she only spoke with maybe ten people while she was in Heaven._

Kakashi could hear some of the Genins commenting on how cool her entrance was, but once again Naruto caught his attention.

"Katsumi-san, how did you know Orochimaru?" the blond, still a Genin, asked.

Katsumi sighed and glanced at Kakashi, who nodded, signaling that it was okay to tell them.

"Ochi-san was my cousin, Naruto-kun."

Kakashi hid his amusement at the fact Naruto did not know which to be more surprised at; the fact Orochimaru was Katsumi's cousin, that she called him Ochi-san, or that she knew his name.

"Moving on," Kakashi said before Naruto could reply. "I called you all here to welcome her back and so you would know who she is if you see her around the village. The Kage meeting has been postponed for three days, so she will be going back with me because the only way Shikaku and I could travel that distance quickly was by her using her shadow travel."

"Are the stories true about the Shisou clan being able to solidify and control shadows?" Sakura asked, probably hoping to see a demonstration.

_Sakura has always been the curious one._

Kakashi chuckled as the shadows around Sakura's feet darkened and lifted off the ground, forming into several kunai. The shinobi standing around her stared in awe as one floated forward and tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to turn and grab it out of the air.

"Yes, it's true," Katsumi said with a grin, having not moved a muscle.

"So you can control shadows like Gaara can control sand!" Naruto said suddenly.

Katsumi nodded and smiled. "Hai. Gaara-sama was quite surprised when he found out," she replied and allowed the shadows to return to their proper places.

_I can tell she is starting to get uncomfortable from all the staring…_

Kakashi stepped forward after she answered the question. "That's enough questions for now. If you have any more questions I'm sure Katsumi will be around to answer them later. You all are dismissed," he said, causing most of the shinobi to disappear from the clearing.

Unsurprisingly, Naruto stayed behind and walked up to Kakashi and Katsumi. He had a serious expression on his face, which Kakashi realized had been appearing more and more since Pain's attack.

"Katsumi-san, I wanted to ask you something," Naruto said; his sharp blue eyes filled with hope and a bit of apprehension.

Katsumi tilted her head and regarded him curiously for a moment. "You want to know if I've talked to your parents," she guessed before he could say anything.

Naruto stiffened and stared at her in shock. "How did you know?" he asked her as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Do you know who your parents are, Naruto?" Katsumi asked him with a slight smile.

The blond nodded quickly, but then glanced at Katsumi with hesitation. "Yeah, my dad appeared in my mind and restored The Seal during Pain's invasion," Naruto told them, not sure if Katsumi knew about the Kyuubi or not.

_Why am I not surprised you managed to do that, Minato-sensei?_

Pulling out of his thoughts, Kakashi focused on Katsumi as she gave Naruto a small smile. "I know about the Kyuubi, Naruto-kun. And yes, I have spoken to your father quite often over the years. He was always talking about how he was so proud of you. He wished that he and your mother had survived that night so they could have been with you," she told him gently.

Naruto's eyes started to water and he quickly wiped his face on his sleeve. "Got something in my eyes," he mumbled before looking back at her. "What about my mom? Did you know her?"

Katsumi smiled at him as he asked the question. "I would hope so; she was my sensei after all. You take after her with your personality and love for ramen."

"My mom was… What was her name?" Naruto asked; his eyes wide as he absorbed the information.

Kakashi noticed Katsumi glanced at him, silently asking for permission. He nodded to her as he tried to decide on something.

"Your mother was Uzumaki Kushina," Katsumi told him, earning a smile that seemed to light up the area.

_Might as well use this opportunity as Hokage to bypass the laws the Sandaime ordered._

"I'll be right back," Kakashi suddenly said and used _Shunshin_ to disappear from the area, leaving Katsumi and Naruto looking bewildered.

….

_Come on, I know it's around here somewhere…_

Kakashi was in his apartment looking through his dresser drawer. He reached down into the bottom drawer and dug around a moment.

_There it is._

He pulled out a photo album that he had not touched in years and opened it. After flipping through a few pages, Kakashi found the picture he was looking for. He took it out of the album and placed it inside his pocket before setting the album back in the drawer and disappearing from the apartment.

….

Naruto and Katsumi were still talking when Kakashi arrived back in the clearing. They broke off their conversation as he walked over to them.

"Why did you run off, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked as he turned away from Katsumi for a moment

Katsumi flashed him a knowing look along with a small smile.

_She could always read me so well…_

Kakashi stepped up to Naruto and held a photo out to him. "I believe you should have this, but you cannot show it to anyone else or tell anyone who your parents are until you are eighteen. Just make sure you don't get it messed up."

The silver haired Hokage doubted that Naruto had heard anything past the first few words, for the blond shinobi was staring at the photo with wide blue eyes.

The picture was of Namikaze Minato before he was elected Hokage. He was still wearing his standard Jōnin gear and his blue eyes that matched Naruto's stared happily at the camera. Standing beside him with his arm wrapped around her was a beautiful woman who had to be Uzumaki Kushina. She had tomato red hair, violet eyes, and was wearing an outfit similar to Sakura's, but in the same shade of blue of Minato's Jōnin outfit. Kushina was also smiling happily and had a bit of a blush on her cheeks.

Naruto's eyes started tearing up again and he quickly rubbed them before smiling at Kakashi. "Arigato, Kakashi-sensei," he said and then surprised the Hokage by pulling him into a hug.

"You're welcome, Naruto," Kakashi replied, used to the blond's random moments of affection.

He ruffled Naruto's hair a moment just before the younger shinobi stepped back to stare at the picture again.

_That picture will be worn out in a week I bet. Unless…_

"Naruto, let me have that picture back for a moment and I can make sure it won't wear out or get damaged," Kakashi said holding his hand out.

Naruto handed the picture back to him a bit slowly, though he could understand why his former student was reluctant to let it go so soon.

Noticing movement, Kakashi glanced down and saw his shadow solidify as it formed a pedestal in front of him. He looked back up at Katsumi as she grinned.

"I figured something steady and clean would make it easier," she told him, causing Naruto to look between them with absolute confusion.

"Huh?"

Kakashi flipped the picture so that the image side was facedown as he set it on the black surface. Two clips formed on both sides of the photo to keep it securely pinned down as he reached onto his back pocket and pulled out a brush and a bottle of ink and set them down on the pedestal too, a tendril of shadow wrapping around the bottle to keep it secure.

"I could get use to this," he said, sending an eye-smile to Katsumi.

"Tsh. Don't count on it," she replied as she rolled her eyes.

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask as he uncapped the ink bottle and dipped the brush into it. He started drawing several designs of the back of the picture, causing Naruto to step forward to get a closer look.

"What kind of seal is that?" Naruto asked as he studied the increasingly complex design carefully.

Stepping closer to lean on the edge of the shadow pedestal, Katsumi was the one to answer as she watched the brushstrokes with sharp, golden eyes. "It is a common, but complex seal that only Jōnin level and above know how to use. It is both a protective seal and a blood seal. The protective part of it will prevent it from being damaged by wear and tear, water, dirt, that sort of thing. The blood seal will allow only you to see the picture if you spread a bit of your blood on the seal. Don't worry, the seal will absorb it and keep it from ruining the picture, and you will have ten minutes before the seal reactivates," she explained, knowing Naruto would understand most of it after traveling with Jiraiya for three years.

Kakashi had pretty much finished drawing the seal by then and he looked up from the photo. "Naruto, I need a drop of your blood in the center of the seal," he told the blond.

Nodding, Naruto bit his thumb and then held it over the paper, allowing a drop of blood to land in the center of the seal. Kakashi formed a few hand signs and touched the paper, causing the seal to glow red for a moment as the blood faded away. He picked up the photo and handed it to Naruto, who stared at the blank area where the picture was before. Naruto grinned and then bit his thumb again, which had already healed from the previous time, and swiped it over the seal, causing the picture to reappear.

"This is awesome, Kakashi-sensei! Arigato!" Naruto said excitedly as he looked up from the picture.

Kakashi nodded and then glanced at the sun to take note of the time. "Weren't you supposed to be helping Choji make the final repairs on some of the restaurants?" he asked as he looked back down at the orange and black clad Genin.

Naruto's eye widened. " Oh right! See you later Kakashi-sensei! Katsumi-san!" he shouted as he darted off.

_He may have become stronger, but he is still as hyper as ever. I'm just thankful he wasn't put on the team with Gai and Lee._

Katsumi snorted in amusement after Naruto was out of site. "He is something else," she commented before turning to Kakashi. "I'm going to visit Tsunade-sama. Are you coming or do you have other things to do?"

"I'll come with you. I want to get an update on her condition anyway," Kakashi replied and they left the clearing and headed towards the hospital.

…

_I still do not understand how women can hit it off and just start talking about any little thing._

Kakashi stood near the door to Tsunade's room as he spoke to Sakura. Katsumi and Shizune were having an in depth conversation about medical jutsus. It had turned out that even though Katsumi was not a medic nin of Shizune's or Sakura's level; she had still trained under various medics and knew many tricks and tips that she could explain to other medic nins.

"I'm pleasantly surprised, Kakashi-sensei," the pink haired medic said as Shizune excused herself and stepped back inside Tsunade's room.

Katsumi stepped up beside Kakashi as he replied, "Hm? What is it that surprises you?" he asked, noticing Katsumi's golden eyes glitter with amusement at Sakura's comment.

_Sakura just better not say anything incriminating while Katsumi is here._

Kakashi forced himself to look unperturbed as Sakura crossed her arms while her green eyes filled with mischief. A quick glance to the side showed that his friend had tilted her head in curiosity at the change of mood.

"I've just been surprised at how you attitude has changed from being the most lazy Jōnin to a pretty sufficient Hokage. I half expected you to keep being late at meetings and still have your nose stuck in that perverted book," Sakura said with a sweet, yet evil smile as she watched Kakashi stiffen as the temperature in the room seemed to drop twenty degrees.

_Kuso! How did I know this was going to happen someday?_

Kakashi decided that his life was probably in danger at the moment and tried to Shunshin away, only for it not to work. Glancing down with his right eye, he noticed that a chakra fused shadow rope extending from Katsumi's hand had wrapped around his leg.

"Going somewhere, Kakashi?" Katsumi asked in a dangerous tone, her slitted eyes glared at him intently.

_Kuso! Kuso! She used my whole name. This does not bode well for me…_

The Hokage's eye widened and for the first time in a while, he actually feared for his life. Kakashi held his hands up in a placating manner. "Now, now, Katsumi, you wouldn't do anything overdramatic now would you?" he asked, sending a hopeful eye-smile her way while thinking of a punishment for Sakura.

Katsumi smiled at him and spoke with what sounded like… a purr? "Now, Kakashi, when have I ever been overdramatic?"

Kakashi sweat-dropped and sent a giggling Sakura a glare. "It's not what you think! I don't actually read it that much! It's where I keep the rose that you gave me-" he defense was cut off by a massive wave of killing intent from Katsumi.

The silver haired Hokage could feel the chakra signatures of several ANBU arrive nearby, but none of them appeared.

_I'm going to have a long talk with them if I make it out of this…_

"Kakashi, are you telling me that you kept a memento of me… in a perverted book?" Katsumi asked as several more shadows solidified and wrapped around his arms and legs to keep him immobile.

A shadow formed in front of him and took form of suspiciously like a shoe and positioned its self in front of a very _sensitive_ area.

_This is getting very dangerous…_

Kakashi gulped. "Katsumi, I'm no matter how temporarily, Hokage, if you attack me it would be consider treason and you'll be arrested," he said, though he swore that he could hear an ANBU chuckle.

Katsumi raised an eyebrow and the shadows around Kakashi tightened. The shoe pulled back and was about to hit him when the door to Tsunade's room swung open and Shizune poked her head out.

"Tsunade-sama is wake!" she announced and then stared at the scene in front of her in confusion. "What's going on here?" Shizune asked and looked over at Sakura who was a few feet down the hall laughing, but sobered as soon as Shizune spoke.

_Perfect timing._

Kakashi sighed in relief as the shadows melted away from him. "Nothing, Shizune," he said and then followed Sakura into the room with Katsumi right behind him.

"We will continue this discussion later," Katsumi whispered before moving to stand beside him.

_Hopefully 'later' will give me a chance to escape._

Kakashi suppressed a sigh and turned his attention to the Godaime Hokage, who was wolfing down a bento like she had not eaten in weeks, which was fairly accurate.

Tsunade chose to ignore Kakashi and the recently survived shinobi; instead grabbing another bento as she looked up at Shizune. "Shizune, get me some more food! Now!" she ordered and then stared at Tonton as if picturing the small pig as a main course meal, causing the pig to squeal and run out the door.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," Shizune replied with a small bow and hurried out the door.

Sakura kneeled down beside her mentor and spoke to her quietly a few moments before Tsunade sent her out of the room on a mission to make sure her office was stocked with sake, to which Sakura rolled her eyes at and grudgingly left the room.

Tsunade quickly finished off the last bento and then turned her golden brown eyes on Kakashi and Katsumi, narrowing her eyes at the latter. "Kakashi… is that who I think it is?" she asked him while staring intently at the long dead cousin of Orochimaru.

Kakashi nodded. "Hi. Katsumi showed up at the Kage summit meeting, having been recently resurrected by Kami, who she had annoyed for the past nineteen years," he explained and stuck his hands in his pockets, resuming his typical relaxed stance.

Katsumi took a step forward and bowed slightly. "It's good to see you again, Tsunade-sama," she said with a smile.

The blond Hokage nodded curtly to her before addressing Kakashi. "That is quite a tale. How do you know she isn't an imposter?" Tsunade asked while keeping an eye on Katsumi.

Kakashi shrugged and eye-smiled. "You really think I wouldn't recognize my best friend and former teammate? Her chakra signature, while much stronger, is still the same and she has used Shisou clan limited abilities as well," he replied and nodded to Katsumi.

His friend instantly understood his meaning and the shadows around their feet solidified and took form of a solid black clone of Katsumi, which waved at Tsunade before melting back into harmless shadows again.

"I guess that proves without doubt that it is truly Shisou Katsumi. How many people know that she is back?" Tsunade asked, looking to Kakashi again.

_I really hope she didn't want to keep it a secret._

"I made an announcement earlier today, so everyone? As well as the other Kages and their guards, plus Mifune and a few samurai," he said with an eye-smile.

Tsunade merely nodded and closed her eyes in thought for a few moments. "It seems a lot has happened while I've been in a coma. I'll speak to Shizune and Shikaku and have them fill me in on everything. It's obvious that you were appointed Hokage in my place, Kakashi. So are you going to fight me for the title or are you going to hand it over quietly?" she asked with a smirk, knowing Kakashi's answer.

_I couldn't be happier now that you're awake and Katsumi is back._

"If I had the Hokage hat with me; I would throw it to you and run," Kakashi said, earning snorts of amusement from the two Kunoichi.

"Very well, Kakashi. Katsumi, as soon as I'm released from the hospital I want to hear the full story," she said and dismissed them.

….

Kakashi _Shunshined_ away as soon as Tsunade dismissed him and he quietly wondered who he could get to help keep Katsumi from killing him.

_I seriously doubt she would, but it been a long time since I've had this kind of fun._

He had ended up in the restaurant district of the village and was walking aimlessly when he noticed a group of Jōnin in one of the local bars. Kakashi quickly adjusted his path and entered the bar.

"What's up, Kakashi?" Genma greet as he took a swig of sake while still holding a senbon in one corner of his mouth.

Anko, Inoichi, and Shikaku, looked up from the bar when Genma spoke.

"Where's your friend, Kakashi? I expected you two to be joined at the hip from now on," The scarred Nara asked, gaining a curious glance from Anko.

The purple haired kunoichi smirked as she ate some dango and flicked the stick into the wall to join its companions which had already formed half of Konoha's symbol. "It would be nice to have another competent kunoichi around here," she commented.

Inoichi raised an eyebrow. "My daughter along with Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata are turning into quite 'competent' kunoichi," he said dryly, though his light blue eyes were filled with mild amusement.

Anko rolled her eyes and tugged his blond ponytail. "You know what I mean; someone closer to my age."

_Ah, it's great everyone gets along so well. I can't imagine how bad it would be if we didn't like each other._

Kakashi passed by the Jōnins and took the seat next to Genma. "To answer your first question; I was looking for someone to help protect me from Katsumi," he admitted with a small chuckle and ordered a drink from the bartender.

"It isn't really good for your reputation for you to be seen drinking in public, being Hokage and all," Genma commented with a grin.

Kakashi pulled down his mask and swallowed his drink in one fast movement so that no one saw his face. "I'm no longer Hokage. Tsunade-sama is awake now," he said with an eye-smile.

"That's great news! I guess the ANBU will summon us if she needs to talk to us," Inoichi commented and took a sip of his drink.

Anko suddenly appeared on the other side if Kakashi. "Tell me, Kakashi, what exactly happened that you need to be protected from Katsumi?" she asked, licking her lips in anticipation for some juicy gossip.

_Kami, I'm really glad Anko and Katsumi have different views on things, or else it would be trouble if they got along._

Kakashi chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well Sakura, who is reaching your level of evilness, Anko, decided to mention my favorite reading material in from of Katsumi."

Anko barked out a laugh and ruffled Kakashi's silver hair. "Poor Kaka-kun is going to get castrated by his best friend so soon after her return."

All four male Jōnin winced at the thought.

"How did you escape from her?" Shikaku asked since he knew the abilities of the Shisou clan rather well.

"She had me trapped and was about to start the torture when Shizune announced that Tsunade was awake. Katsumi said we would continue the discussion later and released me. As soon as we finished talking to Tsunade I _Shunshined_ away and found you guys," he explained with a sigh.

_I know she can find me quickly. I just wonder how long she is going to keep me on edge._

"You do realize the only thing you are doing is delaying the inevitable," Genma said and patted Kakashi on the back.

"I was hoping a bit of sake would dull the pain of whatever she does," he admitted, causing Inoichi to chuckle.

"Well you better brace yourself then. I can feel the presence of another mind approaching rapidly," the blond said, causing Kakashi to hang his head in defeat.

_Well… here's hoping whatever she does is quick._

"How long did you think you could hide, Kashi?" Katsumi's voice echoed through the room and Kakashi slumped his shoulders in relief.

_She's using my nickname again, so it can't be too bad._

"Not long at all, but I figured I could get a say to say goodbye to my friends," he admitted, hoping a bit of a guilt trip would work on the furious kunoichi.

A quiet sigh echoed through the room and Kakashi felt her chakra signature form right behind him as she emerged from the shadows. A moment later she leaned forward and rested her head on his right shoulder and placed her hands on the bar, effectively trapping him for the time being unless he used a jutsu to get away.

"I'm disappointed, Kashi, did you really think I would hurt you?" Katsumi asked, ignoring the disbelieving chuckles from the other Jōnins.

Kakashi could not focus on answering the question for the simple reason that his mind was occupied with something else.

_She is so close to me; I can feel her body heat through my flax jacket and her beautiful hair is tickling my hair- wait! Did I just call her hair beautiful? Katsumi is my best friend for Kami's sake! I shouldn't think of her like that, but that doesn't mean she isn't beautiful… _

Kakashi thoughts were stuck on that train of thought when Katsumi turned her head a bit to see that Kakashi's single eye was staring straight ahead in shock.

She frowned and looked over at the other male Jōnins while Anko waved her hand in front of the unresponsive Jōnin's face. "Did I really scare him that badly?" Katsumi asked, still not moving from her spot.

Genma, being the ladies' man, merely smirked, showing he knew what the problem was.

Shaking his head with an amused chuckle, Shikaku had it figured out as soon as Kakashi stiffened when Katsumi leaned against him. That plus the way he had seen them interact at the Kage Summit just further proved his theory.

The blond Yamanaka was the one that ended up assisting Kakashi. "Katsumi-san, I think he just might be in shock from your… close proximity," Inoichi told her while motioning with his hand to point out his meaning.

Katsumi's gold eyes stared at him in confusion for a moment before it dawned on her. "Oh!" she said and jerked back from Kakashi as if she had been shocked; a light blush gracing her cheeks for a few moments.

Anko snickered threw her arm across Katsumi's shoulder. "I really like you; even if you are related to Orochimaru" she said with a smirk.

Katsumi's thoughts quickly switched from Kakashi to Anko. "You were his student weren't you? I'm sorry about all the trouble he has caused. I wish I had been around to stop him."

Frowning, Anko turned Katsumi so that she could look her in the eye. "How close were you to Orochimaru?" she asked curiously.

The other Jōnins had one ear tuned to the kunoichi's conversation, but their main focus was drawing Kakashi out of his stupor.

Katsumi sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Very close. We would hang out whenever we were both in the village and he would always pick me up and give me a hug before leaving on a mission," she explained with a sad smile.

"I could never imagine him acting like that," Anko said as she lightly rubbed her curse seal.

"Yes, from what I've heard he changed a great deal when I died," Katsumi said as her slitted eyes tracked Anko's hand movement. "If you want me to I can take a look at that seal and see if I can remove it. I've trained under many great seal masters," she offered.

"As long as removing it won't require another bite," she said in a joking voice, though her light brown eyes were serious.

Katsumi smirked slightly, but it did not reach her eyes as she remembered her new diet. "Don't worry; I'm sure I can find a way to do it without biting."

"But it would be rather kinky and fun to watch," Genma said and ducked out of the way of Anko's kunai, which flew by him and cut a few strands of hair off of Shikaku and Inoichi.

By that time Kakashi had come back to full awareness. "Don't you know better than to say something like that in front of kunoichi, especially bloodthirsty ones like Anko," he commented with an eye smile.

Genma was about to reply when a tendril of shadow rose up behind him and smacked him on the back of the head.

The other Jōnins chuckled until Anko and Katsumi looked towards them and each raised an eyebrow in a threatening manner.

_My worst nightmare has come true. Katsumi and Anko have become friends._

"Don't think you are getting away unpunished, Kashi," Katsumi warned as she turned back to him. "Hand it over," she said and held her hand out in a give-me movement.

Sighing, Kakashi reached into his back pocket and slowly pulled out Ichi Ichi Tatics. Before he had a chance to even open it and say goodbye, Katsumi snatched it out of his hand and flipped it open and lifted a flattened black rose out from the pages, which she handed to him.

_At least she gave the rose back to me before she destroys it. Maybe she won't think to search the apartment for the others._

Katsumi skimmed through a few pages of the book, blushing as she progressed further into it. "This is utter trash!" she said and then held her empty hand out and summoned shadows to her palm, which quickly shifted into a vortex that she threw the book into.

Kakashi sighed in defeat and rested his head on the bar while he mourned for his book. As he slipped the rose back into his pouch, he noticed Inoichi had his lips pressed together to keep from laughing while Shikaku was smirking behind his glass. Genma of course did not try to hide it and chuckled as he chewed on his senbon.

"Nice one Kat-san," Anko said with a snicker, but stopped as soon as she felt a shadow wrap around her with the sharp tip resting against her throat.

_You made a mistake calling her that, Anko. She can call everyone else all the nicknames she wants, but if you shorten her name you are risking your life._

"Don't. Call. Me. Kat," Katsumi warned with narrowed eyes before releasing the shadows and turning back to Kakashi. "Let's get out of here. I need to search the apartment for more books."

Anko glared at the retreating shadows and turned back to the bar. "And people call me insane. Tsh. At least they expect it from me," she grumbled under her breath.

_You have a point there, Anko._

Kakashi hung his head in defeat at the thought of losing his other books, but he raised his hand in goodbye to the others before stepping outside into the night air, followed closely by Katsumi after she said goodbye to the others.

As the pair walked slowly towards his apartment, Kakashi studied his friend out of the corner of his eye. Katsumi's jet black hair was highlighted by the light from the moon and her golden eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.

_She's only been back four days and I'm already thinking about her like that. The last time I saw her she was eleven. I doubt she would even feel the same way._

"What are you looking at, Kashi?" Katsumi asked, her sharp eyes noticing his staring.

Kakashi just eye-smiled and casually looked away. "Nothing," he replied and the two shinobi jumped onto a roof top to carry on to his apartment at a faster pace.

_I need to stop my thoughts for a while. I'm going to get in serious trouble if I keep thinking about her like that; plus I have the war to concentrate on now._

* * *

><p><em>Long chapter was long. lol. 6,415 words.<em>

_Review please!_


	6. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the wait! Here's the next chapter. At this point I know Katsumi seems a bit too powerful, but more will be revealed about her in a few chapters that will show some pretty big flaws. Read the AN at the bottom of the page before reviewing and it should answer some questions or complaints about this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable from Naruto.**

* * *

><p>At nine o'clock the next morning Katsumi and Kakashi stood inside Tsunade's office. The blonde Hokage was staring at the two of them intently with her fingers pressed together as she leaned against her desk. They had just finished telling her about everything that had happened at Kage meeting and she was taking a few minutes to process the facts.<p>

"How exactly did you check to make sure no one was spying? You mentioned that you could sense a presence right outside of your range," Tsunade asked the shadow user.

Katsumi nodded and started explaining. "As a Shisou clan member, my kekkei genkai allows me to sense the shadows as well as manipulate them. One of the more advanced techniques is being able to travel through shadows as well as create vortexes. A vortex I can either drop something into and it's lost in the shadows unless I look for it, or I can connect two vortexes together so I can send things instantly to other locations," she paused her explanation and motioned to Tsunade's desk where a shadow had solidified to a black disk.

Katsumi's own shadow had darkened as well and she had her eyes closed in concentration. "The sensory technique I used is quite advanced, so only a few of the original clan members had mastered it since it takes focus that is comparable to entering Sage mode. I can send my chakra through my own shadow to any other shadow I wish and have it send out pulses so I can sense other chakra signatures in the area."

As she spoke the shadow disk on the desk had started glowing blue with chakra and sending out pulses that Kakashi and Tsunade could see and feel.

"The down side to it is that, as you can see, the enemy can tell I'm searching for them, but like at the Kage meeting, I can chase them far enough away that they wouldn't be able to spy," Katsumi said and open her gold eyes again once the shadow had disappeared. "To keep the spy away I pumped some of my chakra into the shadows and left it so whoever sensed it would regard it as a warning."

_My, my, Katsumi, it would seem that you have a good many surprises in store for us. I am curious to see how much your ninjutsu level has increased._

Kakashi felt a rush of amazement at her ability, but then pushed it back as he reminded himself that she had been doing nothing but training for nineteen years.

"Were you able to tell anything about the person that was attempting to spy?" Tsunade asked and pulled out a book that Kakashi recognized as the one Kabuto had given them on the Akatsuki.

Katsumi nodded and stepped forward to look at the missing nins in the book. "Hai, I had heard about him while I was in Heaven," she said and then pointed at a picture of a man that was half black and half white with a plant growing out of his shoulders. "Zetsu; He can merge into the ground or trees and become undetectable to most, but because I can sense people in the shadows and frequently hide in them myself; I'm able to just barely detect him."

Kakashi remembered the strange plant man that had appeared during the short fight with Madara and realized that he could turn into a problem. "Since you can detect him now he shouldn't be too big of a problem. Right now we have other things to worry about," he said and tapped Katsumi's pocket where he knew the golden scroll from Kami was residing.

Katsumi shot him a slightly annoyed glare before sighing and pulling out the scroll; after a moment's hesitation she handed it to Tsunade.

The blond Hokage narrowed her golden brown eyes at the scroll before opening it. "I suppose that a change of diet isn't too much of a price to pay for being resurrected with no other restrictions. I take it you are agreeable to this arrangement, Kakashi?" Tsunade asked as she looked up from the scroll.

Kakashi nodded firmly. "Definitely; it is no problem for me and I can take a blood restorative pill afterwards. Katsumi also healed the bite marks so that there is no sign of injury," he explained, but did not remove his mask to prove it.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow of she looked from the silver haired jōnin to Katsumi. "How skilled are you at using medical jutsu?"

"As I told Kakashi, because of my kekkei genkai I have excellent chakra control so that I can heal surface wounds and some muscle injuries. I wouldn't say it is anywhere near your level or even Shizune's though and I wouldn't attempt any organ repairs unless it was a life or death situation," Katsumi explain and held her hand up and allowed it to glow briefly with green chakra to prove her point. "I was talking to Shizune before you woke up and was telling her about some stuff I had learned from past medics, but couldn't use myself."

Tsunade leaned back in her chair and chewed thoughtfully on her thumbnail. "Alright; I need to reinstate you as a Konoha shinobi, but first I need to see your fighting skills first hand to determine your rank, though I have no doubt you are easily jōnin or ANBU," she told Katsumi, who grinned slightly at the thought of a good spar.

_Please don't say it Tsunade-sama…_

"Your opponent will be Kakashi."

Said jōnin sweat-dropped as Katsumi's grin turned into a smirk Anko would be proud of. "Hai!" she said happily, causing Tsunade to chuckle as she grabbed a bottle of sake off her desk.

"Be at training ground six at one o'clock. If you want to tell anyone else it is fine with me," Tsunade said and drank a gulp of sake before she started sorting paperwork.

_I could almost see the dollar signs in her eyes. She is probably hoping to do some betting on our match. Just for that I won't tell anyone._

Kakashi suppressed a sigh as Tsunade dismissed them and he and Katsumi quickly _Shunshined_ out of the office.

"Let's go tell Gai!" Katsumi said with a grin after the pair appeared on a nearby roof.

Kakashi felt like face palming. "Are you sure you want to do that? The whole village is likely to show up."

_And I really don't want to lose in front of so many people. I know she is easily the same level as me even without her kekkei genkai; and using it gives her a huge advantage. I know her shadows are weak against lightning attacks, but I'm still working on the variation of the __Chidori__ that Sasuke used against Naruto. Since I didn't see it myself I couldn't just copy it. Katsumi probably wouldn't be able to defeat the Raikage or Sasuke easily if they streamed lightning chakra over their entire bodies._

"Of course I'm sure!" she replied and took off across the rooftops before he could protest again.

He quickly jumped after her and quickly caught up and ran at her side. Kakashi could see her slitted eyes flickering around to notice everything important.

_Her eyes are not the Sharingan, that's for sure, but they are still sharp enough to pick up the slightest details and movement. She wisely underplayed her abilities to the Kages._

Kakashi noticed two blobs of green out of the corner of his eye and followed Katsumi as she jumped off the roof to land in front of a restaurant. Team Gai was inside sitting at a booth while chattering continuously…or more like Gai and Rock Lee joyfully semi-shouting while Tenten and Neji just scooted as far away from them as possible.

"Katsumi! Kakashi! My eternal rivals! How are you on this most youthful day?" Gai greeted as he stood up to give Katsumi a semi-bone crushing hug while Kakashi just tried to ignore him.

_Ignoring him was so much easier when I had my books to read._

"As always it is great to see your flames of youth still burn brightly, Gai," Katsumi said with a grin and lightly patted him on the back until he released her.

"What brings you here, Katsumi-san, Kakashi-san?" Tenten asked Kakashi while his teammate and her sensei continue talking about youth and flames

_Translation: "What the hell made you come looking for Gai?"_

Kakashi eye-smiled at her while trying to tune out the conversation, but her still noticed Rock Lee staring at the two with stars in his eyes. "Katsumi just wanted to come and tell Gai something."

Neji raised an eyebrow and turned his pale eyes on Katsumi. "Which is?"

Katsumi looked up from her conversation with the green clad jōnin and grinned. "Oh right. Training ground six at one o'clock. Tsunade is going to test me for my shinobi rank and I'm going to be testing my flames of youth against Kashi," she explained, happily ignoring the shudder that ran through Kakashi as she mentioned flames of youth without addressing Gai.

_That's it. She is not allowed within a mile of him ever again._

Neji and Tenten twitched in distaste of hearing the familiar line from someone who did not seem insane.

"This is most joyous news! Come on team; we shall spread the word so everyone can come and witness such a marvelous event!" Gai shouted and blurred out of the restaurant with Lee right on his heels.

His friend looked after the two green blurs in amusement before turning to Kakashi "Meet up with you in a bit, Kashi," Katsumi said, sinking into the shadows.

Kakashi shook his head in defeat and sat down at the table and ordered something to eat. "I'm not sure how you two stay sane after dealing with Gai and Rock Lee," he said to the chūnin and jōnin.

Tenten smirked. "I have targets at home with their faces on them," she admitted lightly.

Kakashi chuckled and looked over at Neji, who just engaged him in a staring contest.

_All the Hyūga clan besides Hinata seems to think every bit of information should be kept secret._

After a few minutes Neji finally sighed. "Whenever they start one of their rants I create a shield of chakra over my ears that muffles their shouting to a barely noticeable background noise," he explained, causing Tenten to snort and Kakashi to smirk under his mask.

"Very nice and unnoticeable," he said as his food was placed in front of him.

Tenten and Neji tried to look disinterested as Kakashi picked up his chopsticks and lifted his hand to his mask.

_It always amuses me to see their expression whenever I do that. _Kakashi thought after he ate at such a speed that Neji and Tenten had no chance to see under his mask, causing both of their expressions to turn to slight disappointment.

"I better catch up to Katsumi," he said and stood up. "See you around," Kakashi told them with a wave as he _Shunshined_ away.

_I wouldn't be surprised if Anko tried to sell tickets to the spar with Genma taking bets._

…

A bit later Tsunade was standing on one side of the training ground while Kakashi and Katsumi faced off on the other side. Thanks to Gai and Katsumi, most of the village shinobi had heard about the match, so there were a good many of them hiding in the trees surrounding the large clearing to watch and place bets.

_I could win a bet easily by betting that Tsunade was gambling on the match as well._

Kakashi sighed in annoyance as he watched some shadows form in Katsumi's hand and form a small band, which she set with a flash of chakra and used it to tie her hair back.

_The way her hair frames her face and is pulled back like that reminds me of Itachi. Just another trait inherited from the Uchiha's I guess._

Tsunade suddenly spoke up and grabbed his attention. "Alright! Katsumi, Kakashi, you two will spar in ninjutsu and taijutsu. Since this is a test of Katsumi's fighting skills, Genjutsu will not be used because I won't be able to see what is happening and it wouldn't tell me anything about Katsumi's other skills. The match will stop when I have believed it has gone on long enough or when I see a clear winner," she said firmly and then looked around at the spectators. "And to keep the damage to the area and spectators to a minimum; the forest edge is the limit of your fighting area, got it?"

Kakashi and Katsumi nodded. "Hai!"

_I have a feeling this is going to end badly. My Sharingan doesn't work well on other Kekkei Genkai, but at least it will help with the taijutsu and ninjutsu._

The silver haired jōnin reached up and lifted his hitai-ate away from his left eye, focusing intently on Katsumi, while also trying to figure out how to watch her and his shadow at the same time.

Katsumi grinned and switched her stance to a simple taijutsu guard. "No holding back, Kashi! Or you will get your ass handed to you before you know what happened," she told him, gaining some laughs from a few of the shinobi that were watching.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "You are tapping into your Uchiha heritage by being so confident. Don't worry though, I won't be holding back," he replied as a strong wind blew through the clearing.

Tsunade lifted her hand into the air and brought it down just as the wind stopped. "Start off with taijutsu only! Begin!" she shouted and then flickered out of the clearing to observe the fight from the trees.

Kakashi and Katsumi rushed towards each other in unison and quickly started sparring. Kakashi's Sharingan began predicting her movements and he blocked every kick and punch with ease, though he quickly noticed that her speed was comparable to his. He aimed another roundhouse kick at her hips, which she stepped backwards to dodge before aiming a hook punch at his side, which he neatly blocked.

_I know she was always strong in taijutsu, but to be able to dodge my attacks while I'm using my Sharingan in a whole other level- wait; is she smirking?_

Kakashi sweat dropped as Katsumi suddenly grinned in a way that reminded him of Orochimaru.

"I think it's time I make that Sharingan of no use in this fight." she said and suddenly side kicked him in the stomach, knocking him backwards several feet.

…_How did she do that? I could see the move coming, but it came out of nowhere and it was too close for me to dodge it!_

Kakashi quickly rushed back to engage her again, knowing it was not time for them to use ninjutsu yet. "How did you do that?" he asked as he dodged a few more of her normal punches and kicks, actually managing to land a punch or two of his own finally.

"I'm not telling my secrets during the middle of a fight, but I'll explain later after this is over. For now it's time to push this new body to its limits," Katsumi replied, her gold eyes sparked with excitement as she suddenly started slipping past his blocks and landing several punches and kicks.

Kakashi rushed to try and block some of them, but the movements were so random that he could not predict where the next strike would be. As Katsumi continued to strike, Kakashi noticed he could hear a small popping sound.

_That popping… is coming from her bones! The sudden movements in opposite directions must be too much for them to handle._

After about fifteen minutes, the two suddenly broke apart and jumped several feet back from each other. Kakashi looked a bit worn around the edges, but Katsumi had only a few hairs that had come loose from the hair band. He looked closer at her though and noticed that she was trembling a bit, but not breathing too hard.

_It looks like that that type of fighting has its limits. To change direction that quickly puts quite the strain on the body. If I didn't have my Sharingan she probably would have beaten me. She has after all, been training pretty much continuously for nineteen years with some of the strongest shinobi in history._

"You actually got pounded, Kakashi-sensei!" he heard Naruto suddenly yell with a laugh.

_I'm losing respect already and she's only been back two days…_

Kakashi sweat dropped at the thought as he braced himself to start fighting again, only for Tsunade reappear between them.

"That's enough taijutsu," she said and then turned her golden brown eyes towards Katsumi. "That taijutsu seems to be a double-edged sword, Katsumi. How are you doing it?" Tsunade asked as she narrowed her eyes at Katsumi's shaking hands

Kakashi relaxed his stance and stepped forward to listen as he closed his left eye to conserve his chakra.

He watched as Katsumi sighed and started focusing her healing chakra to her joints as she explained. "I came up with it as a defense to the Sharingan. If I have been holding a kunai, some of those strikes would have been deadly," she said and rolled her shoulders, wincing as they crackled with the movement.

Kakashi glanced around the area and noticed the watching shinobi had leaned forward in hopes of learning something that could defeat him.

_Katsumi must have been able to heal instantly while she was just a soul, so it allowed her to perfect the moves without risk of permanent injury. Now that she has a real body though, the length of time she can fight like that is limited._

"When I go to throw a punch or kick, I start it normally. The Sharingan predicts body movement by watching and showing the trajectory of a punch or kick, but it can't see under my skin. I learned to move only a few muscles to control my whole leg or arm and started using a style similar to Drunken Fist," Katsumi paused and then looked around, noticing the eager listeners.

"But I wouldn't recommend trying it… at all. The sudden change in direction puts great strain on the joints, and when I started learning it I dislocated some parts that I didn't know could be dislocated. Unlike Drunken Fist, which relies more on full body movement, this style is more joint centered and has even quicker movements," she explained. She had stopped shaking by that point, evidently having healed the worst of the damage.

Tsunade nodded at the explanation before for looking between the two of them. "Are you ready to move on to ninjutsu?"

Kakashi nodded and sweat dropped as Katsumi smirked and said, "Hai!" a bit too eagerly for his liking.

"Begin!" the Hokage said as she disappeared from the clearing once again.

Kakashi immediately jumped off the ground to avoid her using his shadow against him. As he landed farther back, he expected an immediate shadow attack, but instead Katsumi brought her hands up and started weaving hand signs.

_She should know better than to use regular ninjutsu against me; I wonder what she is planning._

Recognizing the hand signs, Kakashi immediately started copying them, except forming them twice as fast.

He finished before her and took a deep breath before holding his hand up to his mouth.

_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!_

Kakashi breathed out and sent a giant ball of fire flying towards Katsumi. She easily dodged it, but then he noticed that she had started a different set of hand signs. Before he had time to counter, Katsumi slammed her hand to the ground.

Sensing that he should move, Kakashi jumped backwards just in time to avoid getting speared in a _sensitive _area as a rock spike shot up from the ground below him.

_That was a closer call than the time Naruto tried to use One Thousand Years of Death on me._

Katsumi narrowed her eyes at him as she kept her hand on the ground, causing more spikes to pop up across the field. Kakashi quickly dodged them all by sensing what was about to happen since he used Earth elemental attacks often himself and they were a second affinity for him. He continued jumping backwards until he was standing on water, though he knew she had an advantage on water too.

She quickly joined him on the creek and they started exchanging jutsus continuously. They had probably been attacking, dodging, and attacking again for about thirty minutes when Katsumi suddenly stopped forming hand signs and stuck her hands in her pockets.

_This can't be good, if she's not using hand signs anymore…_

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and threw several kunai towards her. As he expected, her shadow quickly solidified and shot up to grab the kunai before they even got close to her.

"I believe I've demonstrated enough of my ninjutsu skills, so I think it's time I show how far I've progressed with my kekkei genkai_,_" Katsumi said and closed her eyes.

_I really don't like the sound of that._

Grabbing several shuriken, Kakashi threw them at his friend, hoping to catch her off guard while her eyes were closed. His attempt ended up being thwarted by a solid wall of shadow that blocked the star-shaped weapons.

Bracing himself to attack again, Kakashi suddenly stiffened as a huge mass of shadows formed behind her. He looked closer and saw even more of the black tendrils coming out of the forest. The black mass suddenly broke apart and shifted into several thousand deadly sharp black kunai that spread out and surrounded him.

_I __really__ hate it when my Sharingan allows me to count things like this._

The masked jōnin raised an eyebrow as he looked back at Katsumi, who had her eyes open again and was watching him with a smug expression. "Don't you think this is a little overkill?" he asked, exasperated.

Katsumi laughed. "This? This is simple stuff. I haven't even started using my more advanced techniques," she replied and tucked a black strand of hair behind her ear.

Without warning, the kunai flew towards him rapidly. On instinct he quickly used a _Kawarimi_, reappearing on the other side of the clearing. He felt a cut on his shoulder where one of the kunai had nicked him before the jutsu took effect, but he was thankful that was his only injury.

_If this is simple, I know I don't want to see the advanced attacks._

"I think I will end this with one of my special techniques," Katsumi told him. "Do you remember Kushina-sensei's _Chakra Chains_?" she asked and held her hands out.

Kakashi's eyes widened as he watched about half of the kunai melt back into a ball and positioned its self in front of her. She placed both hands on the ball of shadows and he felt a surge of chakra from her.

The shadows shifted a moment before the ends of four chains emerged from the mass. Each one had a pointed end and several spikes along the rest of the chains. Kakashi could see a blue chakra aura surrounding them and knew instantly that he was in trouble.

_This is why she always won more ninjutsu matches than me. Her kekkei genkai was almost impossible to beat before, but this is ridiculous! If those chakra infused chains get a hold of me, I won't be able to __Kawarimi__ or __Shunshin__ through them. Think Kakashi! _

The chains suddenly shot towards him, stretching out from the ball of condensed shadows with what seemed like never-ending length. Thinking quickly, Kakashi dodged the chains as he powered up a _Chidori _and smashed it through the center of the chains. The black chains broke apart easily; the ends falling to the ground and disappearing as the chakra faded out of them. Surprisingly, the chains themselves crumbed apart several feet before stopping and repairing themselves.

_My lightning affinity gives me a small advantage, but I'm sure I won't have it for long._

"You have limited chakra, Kashi. I have unlimited shadows. How long do you think you can keep that up?" Katsumi asked him as she watched him closely from behind her chakra filled shadow ball.

"Actually quite a while, but I don't plan on using it that long," he said and suddenly pointed the palm of his hand towards her. His lightening chakra shot out and headed towards her, taking the form of a wolf as it ran along the ground. Any of the shadows it touched crumbled away and Katsumi jumped back as the lighting wolf reached the mass ball of shadows, destroying them instantly.

"You've found my shadow's weakness, but do you really think I haven't worked a way around it?" she asked and the remaining shadow kunai melted together to form the long tendrils that he remembered from long ago.

She suddenly reached into her weapons pouch and pulled out several handfuls of kunai. She threw them into the air and the shadows grabbed hold of them, spreading out to surround him once again.

_Why can't Tsunade-sama just go ahead and call the match already? I probably __could__ beat her, but I know we would both resort to deadly techniques and there is no reason to use them in just a spar._

Kakashi powered down his lightning jutsu and pulled out a kunai to fend off the other weapons if he could not get out of the way quick enough with a _Shunshin _or _Kawarimi. _As the sharp projectiles were suddenly thrown at him by the shadows, he quickly jumped out of the way and used his kunai to knock away the ones closest to him.

"It's game over, Kashi," she said, grabbing Kakashi's attention as he jumped into the air to dodge another rain of kunai.

Kakashi suddenly jerked to a halt as he was suspended in midair. He quickly looked down and noticed thin shadows had wrapped around his arms and legs, rendering him unable to move as he floated in the air.

"I should have known I couldn't avoid your shadows forever," Kakashi said, narrowing his eyes at her as one of the shadows held a kunai next to his throat.

Katsumi shrugged and lowered him to the ground as Tsunade reappeared on the field. "You have shadows on your body, Kashi. I could have used them at any point to capture you," she said as she walked towards him while releasing the shadows.

Kakashi shook his head in amusement before pulling his hitai-ate back down over his Sharingan eye. "With just your kekkei genkai I believe you could easily make ANBU, Katsumi," he told her as the Hokage stepped forward.

"Kakashi is right, Katsumi. You are well qualified for ANBU," Tsunade told her and then narrowed her eyes at the village's newest shinobi. "But I assume you wish to stay at jōnin rank with Kakashi."

Nodding, Katsumi smiled at her hopefully. "Hai, Tsunade-sama. I'm not mentally cut out for assassination missions that ANBU tend to have to go on, but I can kill in the heat of battle if needed."

Tsunade nodded thoughtfully as she chewed on her thumbnail. "Alright, I'll go arrange the paper work. As of now you are a jōnin level shinobi of Konoha. Come by the office later to pick up your hitai-ate," she ordered and then glared knowingly into the trees. "The rest of you…go back to your missions!"

Kakashi chuckled as the chakra signatures around the clearing disappeared at record speed.

_I have no doubt I will hear about this later, but for now I will try and avoid those who will never let me live it down._

Tsunade smirked in the direction of the rapidly fleeing shinobi before turning back to Katsumi and Kakashi. "Since you two have the most knowledge about the situation; you will accompany me as guards back to the Kage meeting."

"The other Kages know that I'm on level with Kakashi; won't they have a problem with Konoha having three Kage level shinobi there?" Katsumi asked as she narrowed her slitted eyes.

"They will get over it. Katsumi, they know you are one of the best surprises we have for Madara, so they won't protest too badly. They already know and respect Kakashi, so I don't see much of a problem there either," Tsunade replied and then looked over her shoulder to see Shizune running towards her.

"Tsunade-sama! You should get back to resting!" Shizune shouted as she drew closer.

Tsunade sighed and then turned back to Katsumi and Kakashi. "You two are dismissed, so I'll see you later," she said and then flickered out of the clearing, leaving a furious Shizune to chase after her.

…

Katsumi and Kakashi found themselves once again standing in front of Tsunade's desk a few hours later. Katsumi had her new hitai-ate tied around her left arm with a black cloth and was glancing at it happily.

"Katsumi, I have some more questions for you now that you are an official jōnin of Konoha," Tsunade said and then added. "You are going to be here awhile, so you might as well make yourself comfortable."

Katsumi nodded and then formed two chairs out of shadows for her and Kakashi before setting them with chakra.

"What is your first question?" Katsumi asked once she and Kakashi were comfortable.

"This wasn't one of my original questions, but I still want to know. "What is the difference in forming shadows and then releasing them, and forming shadows and touching them with a surge of chakra?" the Hokage asked her.

Katsumi shrugged and tapped the chair. "If I fill it with some chakra I don't have to concentrate on it to keep its form. The chakra won't be released unless I remove it or the object is destroyed completely."

_I had always wondered about that, but I had guessed the explanation was something like that._

Tsunade nodded at the explanation before moving on. "Alright. You said that you had a message for Sasuke. What was it and how do you plan on finding him and getting him to believe you?"

Katsumi told Tsunade the same thing she had told Kakashi.

Tsunade swore under her breath. "That Danzō! I'm going to take care of the council as soon as possible and when Danzō is found he will be thrown away with them," she said, but Katsumi caught her attention.

"Danzō is dead. Sasuke killed him not long after he left the Kage meeting," she explained, earning a glance of surprise from Kakashi.

_That is news to me as well, but I guess it isn't surprising Sasuke did it._

"Hm, I can't really condemn him for that since I would have done the same thing. I'm just surprised that Itachi believed the order to kill his clan was from Sarutobi-sensei," Tsunade mused with her eyes closed in thought. "Anyway, answer the rest of the question."

"Hn. I have a general idea of Madara's base location. I'll just need to reach the general area and I can search for Sasuke from the shadows once I'm there. As for him believing me; Itachi told me some stuff to tell him that would leave Sasuke no room for doubt," Katsumi told her as she her arms and leaned back in her chair.

Tsunade opened her eyes to glare at her. "You will not go on such a dangerous mission on your own. I understand that you need to speak to Sasuke by yourself, but I want a team nearby as back up if needed," she said firmly.

To Kakashi's surprise, Katsumi readily agreed.

_Before she would've insisted on doing it by herself; I guess she really has matured._

"Good. As soon as the Kage meeting is wrapped up I'll get a team together for you. Now, tell me what happened to the Shisou clan," Tsunade ordered, and Kakashi noticed his friend sigh as she closed her eyes.

"As you know, it happened towards the end of the second shinobi war. The Shisou clan lived on the edge of the village, but since they were so powerful, they didn't worry about attacks. Kiri nin formed a plan and snuck into the village. Don't ask me how, because I never spoke to any of them. They attacked the Shisou clan district hard and fast. They threw in several flash bombs to hurt their sensitive eyes and then attacked fiercely. The younger ones and the ones that hadn't mastered shadow sensing were killed off first, because even blinded one of my clan can still sense shadow movement to dodge attacks. I know you know this already from the records, but I'm getting to the rest of the explanation," Katsumi said as she paused to take a deep breath.

"There were seventeen active jōnins, eleven chūnins, and five genins as well as three retired grandparents and one baby. After the Kiri attack the numbers were cut down to the one child, two grandparents, two genin, five chūnins, and eleven jōnin. The Hokage wanted to provide twenty-four hour guard for the clan, but the Shisou clan tapped into their Uchiha heritage and their pride caused them to refuse the offer," she stopped explaining and opened her eyes. "Tell me what you know that happened after that," Katsumi told Tsunade.

Tsunade nodded curtly. "Iwa had somehow heard about the attack and got it into their heads to try the same thing. Luckily the Shisou clan suspected it and only two jōnin were killed in the attack. A few days later the Hokage was about to send some ANBU guards to the clan district and insist they take the protection, only for them to find the clan had just been wiped out. The evidence supported that both Kiri and Iwa had attacked. At about the same time the retired grandmother emerged from the shadows in the Hokage's office with fatal injuries and carrying the baby, your mother Natsumi. The grandmother died a few minutes later, too far gone to explain what had happened."

_I knew that whatever had happened was pretty bad, but that may have been worse than the Uchiha massacre._

Katsumi sighed and spoke once more. "Everything was right except for one thing. Kiri and Iwa didn't make the final attack… it was the Uchiha's."

* * *

><p><em>*Dodges thrown object* Okay first off. I know the Uchiha's are used as bad guys a lot, but seriously, there are only so many powerful bad guys in the series and the massacre happened before the *evil* Akatsuki was formed.<em>

_Secondly. If Kakashi knew the details of Katsumi's abilities, or was going all out, he could have beaten her a lot easier. But it's like when Kakashi fought Zabuza, who freaked out because Kakashi tricked him into thinking the Sharingan could see the future. I'm going to have Katsumi explain her abilities more before the battles start, so you'll understand how he could have beaten her. Going all out Katsumi is Kage level, but in other fights she's just ANBU. Unlike the Sannin who could be Kage level in any fight. Here's a hint about Katsumi's weakness. If she had fought Tsunade, she would've lost._

_I think that covers everything. I'm a fan of uber strong characters, so that can take over now and then, but I try to tone it down for readers, even though I am just writing this for my own enjoyment._


	7. Chapter 5

**Okay two reasons for this update. One, I want to tell you I have published a one shot called Fallen Shadow, which covers the part right after the prologue of this story. Two, this is the last completed chapter I have, but after this one the plot should speed up. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Naruto. **

* * *

><p><em>The Uchiha clan did something like that? I knew they had a few bad eggs, but to kill of a whole clan of distant relatives is unthinkable!<em>

Kakashi's visible eye widened at the very thought of such betrayal while Tsunade clenched her fists and her desk cracked under the pressure.

"How did they manage it with getting caught or having any casualties?" Kakashi asked.

"And why didn't any of the clan beside the two manage to escape?" Tsunade added as she pulled out a scroll and started writing down everything that had been explained so far.

Katsumi sighed and massaged her temples. "I spoke with a few of the Uchiha clan that felt truly guilty for what happened. After the first two attacks the Uchihas decided that they had the opportunity to take out one if the clans that rivaled them for being the most feared and respected; the other clan being the Hyūga. A few members of the clan hypnotized the gate guards and snuck in several Uchihas that had been sent on solo missions. The Uchiha that organized the whole thing used his Sharingan to copy the Hokage's hand writing and seal and made a fake scroll that said the Uchihas were to be the guards for the Shisous and it was a direct order they could not dispute. Tired from the recent fight, the Shisous went to sleep with two of their own assisting as guards."

"Once everyone was sound asleep the Uchiha guards all attacked at the same time, placing a genjutsu over everyone and killing them before they could dispel it and raise the alarm. They used water and earth elemental attacks to maul the bodies and cover the clean death blows made from kunai. The grandmother was an expert genjutsu user and sensed it as soon as it was placed, so she was able to dispel and fight back, but her stiff joints took their toll and she was fatally injured before she could stop the attack with a shadow. She managed to kill her attacker, grab Natsumi, and shadow travel to the Hokage before dying. The Uchiha that was killed was snuck out of the village and then brought back, claimed to be killed during the mission," she finished up the explanation and sank back into the chair.

"So that was how a whole clan was wiped out in one night. It was a well thought through plan," Kakashi said with a nod and then glanced at Tsunade. "I'm guessing Natsumi was put under ANBU protection after that?"

Tsunade nodded and laid her pen down and rolled up the scroll. "Hai, Natsumi had a guard at all times until she was a high Jōnin. After that she married and had you, Katsumi, before being killed five years later while infiltrating the Kiri village." She sealed the scroll before placing it in a drawer. "That is all for now. You both are dismissed."

Kakashi nodded and stood up while Katsumi removed the chakra from the chairs. They both bowed before walking out of Tsunade's office.

Kakashi grinned under his mask as he could almost sense Tsunade's shock.

_She always wants to know why anyone doesn't use the door, so it's fun to shock her every now and then._

…

Kakashi awoke the next morning to the feeling of being lightly poked in the side.

_Katsumi… I'm surprised my body still recognizes her presence, otherwise I would have woken up the moment she entered the room._

He opened his right eye and sat up to see Katsumi sitting on the edge of his bed with an amused grin. "Rise and shine, Kashi. We need to go speak to Tsunade-sama," she told him and Kakashi suddenly felt a shadow solidify under him and throw him off the bed.

The elite Jōnin flipped in midair and landed gracefully near the doorway. "That was a rude wakeup call," Kakashi said as he stepped forward to his closet to grab some clothes besides the sleep pants and shirt/mask he was wearing.

"I just wanted to make sure you're not turning soft," Katsumi said, her gold eyes watching his every move.

Kakashi sent her an eye smile. "I was just Hokage a day ago. Do you really expect me to go downhill that quickly?" he asked, while his mind followed another train of thought.

_It's almost like she's watching me because… nah. That can't be it._

"Not likely," she replied and stood up, moving out of the room so that Kakashi could get dressed.

Kakashi pulled off his sleep clothes and started switching into his shinobi gear.

"Why do you want to see Tsunade-sama?" he asked, knowing Katsumi would hear him even over the sound of whatever she was doing in the kitchen.

"I'm going to get Tsunade-sama's permission to examine and attempt to remove Anko's curse seal," his friend replied and Kakashi stepped out of the room after he finished dressing.

He looked around the kitchen to see Katsumi standing in front of the stove, placing some scrambled eggs onto a plate along with some bacon.

She sent him a smile as Kakashi walked to the refrigerator and pulled out some milk to go with it. He sat down at the table as Katsumi set the plate in front of him.

_I could get used to this; I just hope she doesn't feel like she has to do it. Nah, Katsumi may dislike the arrangement, but she wouldn't consider fixing breakfast a way of returning the favor._

"Arigato, Katsumi. How are you feeling?" Kakashi asked and pulled his mask down to start eating, having automatically put it on when he woke up out if habit.

Katsumi immediately knew what he was referring to and shrugged as she sat down and leaned back in her chair. "You read the scroll, so I'll be fine for three more days yet," she replied and turned her gold eyes to stare at the table a moment as he noticed shadows forming multiple seals that she studied intently.

_I wonder what level she is at with seals. Most likely she's surpassed me after trained that long under Sensei and Kushina-san.  
><em>  
>"Do you have an idea of how to remove Anko's seal?" Kakashi asked curiously after a few minutes of silence.<p>

Katsumi nodded and allowed the shadows to disperse. "Hai, I have several ideas, but I need to examine the seal before I can decide on a method of removal," she replied as he finished eating.

"Let's go then," he said and put the dishes away after washing them off with a convenient water jutsu.

Standing up, Katsumi followed him out of the apartment before the two quickly headed towards the Hokage tower.

…

Tsunade gazed intently at Katsumi, her golden brown eyes assessing the last Shisou clan member critically. "Jiraiya tried and was unable to remove the curse seal from Anko. What makes you think you would have a better chance?"

"I've been training under Minato-sensei, Kushina-sensei, and more recently Jiraiya-sama. Between the three of them I think I have a good chance in succeeding," Katsumi replied with a determined expression that Kakashi knew rather well.

Apparently from Tsunade's exasperated expression, she recognized the look too.

_Whenever Katsumi had that expression there was no talking her out of what she had planned. It would seem Tsunade-sama has seen the same expression from Orochimaru._

Tsunade sighed. "Very well, but I want Kakashi to be nearby and supervise in case something goes wrong," the blond Hokage agreed reluctantly before waving her hand. "Go on now; I've got to finish getting ready to leave for the Summit meeting in the morning," she dismissed the two Jōnin, who flickered out of the office a second later.

…

"Anko should be at the dango stand, if she's not there she'll be training in the Forest of Death," Kakashi said as he and Katsumi weaved through the crowds.

Katsumi flashed him a grin, her gold eyes lit up with amusement. "Ah the good old Forest of Death. I take it the genins still freak out when they learn they have to survive in it for five days?"

Eye-smiling, Kakashi replied with a chuckle. "Of course, you should have seen their expression when Anko was the proctor for that part of the exam. More than half the genins ended up failing."

Katsumi nodded sadly before narrowing her eyes and looking through the crowd. "There she is," she said and then moved quickly towards the dango both with Kakashi right behind her.

_I guess she just remembered that was the same exam Orochimaru attacked and killed Sandaime in. I have a feeling he is still going to cause problems even while dead._

Anko turned her light brown eyes on them as she finished off her seventh stick of dango. "Yo, Kakashi, Katsumi. What brings you here?" she asked curiously and flicked the dango stick so that it joined the others in the wall.

"Tsunade-sama has given me permission to attempt to remove your curse seal," Katsumi explained cheerfully and Kakashi realized she had shoved down any negative emotions that had started to pop up.

Anko raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Right now?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yep. It's Katsumi show, but I'm going to be there in case anything goes wrong," he said and then narrowed his eye a moment. "I think training ground twenty-six would be a good place to attempt the removal seeing as it's the furthest from the village."

Anko gulped down her last stick of dango and jumped off the stool. "Let's go then!"

Katsumi grinned and all three of them _Shunshined_ out of the area.

…

Kakashi stood up as he finished the last symbols on the protective barrier seal. Katsumi did not seem too concerned about the seal reacting badly to being removed, but he insisted on the barrier seal and had worked on it himself while Anko sat in the middle with her shoulder bared to Katsumi.

_My instincts are telling me something is going to go wrong, but I have no clue how bad it will be and both of them will dismiss any warnings I give them._

"Are you finished, Kashi?" Katsumi asked and he looked at her to see that she had pulled her hair up and was watching him with an impatient expression.

"Hai. I'll just be lounging in the tree, not reading my precious books," he said mournfully, causing both kunoichi to snort unsympathetically.

Kakashi jumped into the tree and did indeed stretch out, but then he lifted his headband up so he could study the chakra emitting from the curse mark.

Katsumi's hands started glowing green as she placed them over Anko's curse seal. "I'm using healing chakra to see how integrated the seal is to your chakra system," she explained, causing Anko to nod slightly.

Kakashi watched closely as his friend closed her eyes in concentration and about ten minutes passed before her expression changed to a smirk.

"I know how to remove it," Katsumi said confidently and them reached into her pouch and pulled out a scroll along with a sealing brush and ink.

_She really is a seal expert if she knows how to remove it that quickly, though she probably had help from the others who had discussed it for a while._

Anko looked hopefully at the golden eyed Jōnin. "How? Jiraiya-sama said it was too integrated into my chakra system to remove," she said while Katsumi started drawing out a seal.

"Jiraiya was trying to remove the whole seal, but the seal is powered by Orochimaru's chakra. All I have to do is drain the chakra from the seal and it will be useless," she said and then straightened up from where she had finished the seal.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow in surprise.

_Such a simple solution that no one had considered. Maybe figuring out how to remove it required both seal knowledge and medical jutsu._

Anko seemed to echo his thoughts. "That simple, huh? Then let's get to it. I'll be glad to get rid of this thing," she said with a smirk.

Katsumi nodded and looked over at Kakashi. "Does that sound reasonable to you?" she questioned.

_It's obvious she's only asking to keep Tsunade happy._

"Hai. Just be careful," the silver haired Jōnin replied.

Katsumi nodded and flashed through hand seals before touching her hands to Anko's shoulder again.

Kakashi watched closely as Katsumi's chakra reached into the cures seal and wrapped around the dark chakra he could see residing in it thanks to his Sharingan. It was a few minutes after she had started that Kakashi noticed something was happening and his eyes widened.

_Orochimaru's chakra is starting to activate! It's moving towards her hand; I have to warn her._

Just as he opened his mouth to shout a warning; Katsumi's expression changed from one of focus to extreme shock, and then to his surprise, her face softened to an awestruck look as she stared at her hands.

"What's happening, Katsumi?" Kakashi asked, worriedly, causing Anko to tilt her head to check the other kunoichi's expression.

Katsumi looked up at her teammate with a tearful expression. "Ochi-san's chakra… it recognizes mine; it's not fighting me at all," she said, much to Anko and Kakashi's shock.

_I knew she and the Snake sannin were close, but I never expected that. Only very close family members' chakra can recognize each other. Perhaps if Katsumi had come back sooner she could have changed him. _

"You have got to be kidding me! That ruthless bastard that tried to ruin my life was that close to you?" Anko said with dangerously narrowed eyes.

Katsumi sighed at the reminder of the dark path her cousin took before nodded. Kakashi was still sitting on the edge of the branch as he noticed that Orochimaru's chakra was going towards Katsumi's hand without her chakra pulling on it.

"Katsumi…" Kakashi said in warning tone, but did not finish because of Katsumi's nod, which meant she knew what he was going to warn her about.

_Hopefully she can stop it, because I can't enter the area without breaking the seal jutsu and causing anything from a mild zap to an explosion._

He noticed Katsumi's jaw clenched as he watched the dark chakra pull out of Anko and start to center around his teammate's right hand.

_Kuso! The curse seal is transferring to Katsumi!_

"I know, Kashi," she muttered, knowing he was about to say something.

"Can you fight it off?" Kakashi asked her, wondering how he could help her.

Katsumi narrowed her eyes a moment before smiling a bit. "I'm not going to."

"What? Are you crazy?" Anko shouted as Kakashi's Sharingan watched Katsumi's chakra stop fighting it and back off.

_I'm not sure what she is thinking allowing that seal to transfer to her. It's dangerous even if his chakra recognizes her._

Kakashi jumped out of the tree and walked over to a certain part of the seal. He squatted down and dipped his finger in ink before drawing another symbol next to the largest one on the seal. The whole seal glowed blue for a moment before fading away, allowing Kakashi to walk over to Anko and Katsumi.

"You really should try to stop it, Kat" Kakashi said, but knew it was futile as he saw the seal slowly form on the back of Katsumi's hand.

Katsumi gritted her teeth against the pain the seal was causing her, but shook her head.

Anko looked at the golden eyed Jōnin with narrowed eyes. "You're officially crazy to want this thing, especially considering how much pain it has caused me."

"My sanity has always been up for debate," Katsumi replied in a tight voice.

She pulled her hand away from Anko's shoulder just as the curse seal turned solid black, signifying that the transfer was complete.

_Well, that turned out better than what I expected… I think._

Kakashi looked over at Anko, who was rubbing her shoulder in amazement. "You should go to the hospital and have one of the medic nin do a full body scan to make sure the removal didn't damage anything," he told her; his tone of voice made it an order.

Anko shot him a glance and nodded. "Hai, but first I want to ask Katsumi something," she replied and turned her light brown eyes to the kunoichi. "The pain from the seal knocked me out for hours, how are you standing it?"

Kakashi looked at his friend, noticing she was a bit paler than usual and also gripping her right hand tightly, but had a look of concentration in her eyes. A quick glance with his Sharingan showed that her whole arm was incased in a faint green aura.

_It probably has something to do with the fact she is using healing chakra to combat the pain._

"I'm numbing the nerve ends with healing chakra," she told Anko with a slight shrug. "The pain is starting to fade quickly since I've manage to stop it from spreading any further than my arm."

Looking slightly impressed, the purple haired kunoichi nodded. "Well that's a relief. Arigato, Katsumi. I never thought I would get rid of that thing," Anko said and then flickered out of the clearing.

Kakashi stepped into front of Katsumi and held his hand out. "May I take a look at it?" he asked her quietly, not wanting to break her concentration on keeping the pain away.

She nodded and lifted her hand with a slight wince and placed it in his. Kakashi lifted it up to look closely at the seal while noticing he could feel a bit of a tingle coming from her arm, but decided it must be from the mix of Orochimaru's chakra and her own healing chakra.

After inspecting it a few minutes, Kakashi released her hand, trying to ignore the way he liked holding it.

_What am I; a teenager with his first crush? I really need to get over this._

"We need to inform Tsunade-sama about this," he told her and then pulled off his right glove and handed it to her. "You'll want to cover it up for now or people might get the wrong idea."

Katsumi nodded and accepted the glove, sliding it on and effectively covering up the seal. "It's almost finished setting in," she said and clenched her fist before letting her arm hang next to her as usual.

"Do you really think it was a good idea to let it transfer to you? You know that it can affect the mind," Kakashi said, frowning slightly under his mask as the Jōnins turned and started heading back to the village.

Katsumi turned her slitted gold eyes towards him with a calm expression. "I kept it from spreading any further than my shoulder, so I won't be getting any crazier thoughts than usual," she told him and then looked down at her arm a moment. "Besides, we are getting ready to go to war and any extra power helps. I won't use it if I don't have to, but it's nice to have a backup plan if needed."

_I just need to trust her judgment. She has been right most of the time and this is something within her knowledge._

Kakashi held her gaze a few moments before nodding. "You're already kage level. Do you really need any more power?" he said with an eye smile.

Rolling her eyes, Katsumi punched his shoulder none too lightly. "Suck up. Race you to the Hokage tower," she said and then suddenly took off.

Kakashi sighed and quickly took off after her, glad to see that she still had not changed on the inside.

…

Katsumi had always been a bit faster than Kakashi, so she ended up reaching the door to Tsunade's office first. They, of course, startled the shinobi working at the desk with their rapid entrance, but one would think they would be used to it by now.

Katsumi knocked on the door and both Jōnin entered after hearing Tsunade's 'come in'.

_Oh great… this should be an interesting meeting._

Standing tall and intimidating next to Tsunade's desk was Morino Ibiki, head of Torture and Interrogation. He was dressed in his usual black uniform, trench coat, and black bandana hiding the scars on top of his head.

He raised an eyebrow at Katsumi and grinned, stretching the two scars across his face, which usually freaked out younger shinobi. "Shisou Katsumi, I'd heard that you had returned, which was quite surprising, but not entirely unexpected of you."

Katsumi evilly grinned at him, using one of the expressions she had learned from Orochimaru. "Ibiki-kun! Why the last time I saw you, you were a wee little genin who was afraid of my cousin," she said, causing him to frown.

"'Kun'?" the tokubetsu Jōnin repeated in disbelief.

Kakashi was very thankful for his mask at that moment as he grinned at Ibiki's expression.

_Not many people have the guts to talk to Ibiki like that. I guess hanging around Orochimaru did have its advantages. Well Gai can talk that way too, but his sanity has never been proven._

"Just because you graduated first doesn't mean you shouldn't show me the proper respect," Ibiki said in his most stern voice, which had no effect on Katsumi.

She just grinned and stepped past him to stand in front of Tsunade. "I'll show you the proper respect when you beat me in a spar," Katsumi told him over her shoulder before addressing Tsunade. "I've succeeded in remove the curse seal from Anko with only one minor complication, Tsunade-sama."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and stepped forward as well. "I think 'minor' is a bit of an understatement," he said and then motioned for his friend to take the glove off, which she handed back to him.

Tsunade immediately narrowed her eyes at the curse seal while Ibiki showed his surprise by raising an eyebrow at the fact it had been removed at all.

"How did this happen?" Tsunade asked the two Jōnins.

Katsumi grinned sheepishly and lightly rubbed the mark with her left hand. "It tried to transfer to me when I was removing it, so I decided to just let it," she said earning looks that questioned her sanity.

Kakashi sighed and quickly explained the event in detail before Ibiki or Tsunade could jump to conclusions.

_Hopefully they'll see her point in this; because if they decide to make her remove the seal… I can't see it going over well._

Tsunade stared at Katsumi a few minutes after the reveal of the chakra recognition before looking sharply at Ibiki. "Contact Inoichi and have him meet you at Headquarters. I want him to scan Katsumi mind and make sure there is no influence from the curse seal," she ordered before turning back to Katsumi. "If everything is as it should be, then the seal can stay where it is."

Ibiki and Katsumi nodded before the golden eyed Jōnin grinned and grabbed Ibiki's hand. "Come on; I can search for Inoichi from the shadows," she said and dragged him into the shadows, both of them disappearing before he had a chance to protest.

Kakashi chuckled at his friend antics and noticed Tsunade smirk in amusement before addressing him.

"Kakashi," she said in a serious tone, "what do you think of the situation?"

The previous Hokage sighed and relaxed his stance as he stuck his hands in his pockets. "If I didn't know Katsumi as well as I do; I would say that it was an insane idea, but since I do know her…" Kakashi trailed off and stared out the window. "My advice is to trust Katsumi's judgment. She knew Orochimaru better than you ever did, you have to admit that. That fact, plus the training she has puts her ahead of us in many fields of knowledge."

Tsunade nodded and chewed thoughtfully on her nail a moment. "I agree with you, Kakashi. Katsumi is smart, but she lack experience in real battles, no matter how much training she has. She is also missing the real world effects of decision making, but I expect that to come with time."

_I hold her abilities a bit higher than that, but that isn't the point at the moment._

"I assume she is still accompanying us to the Kage meeting," Kakashi stated, knowing they needed her to be able to travel that distance in time for the meeting to resume.

"Of course; Katsumi is a valuable asset to our side of the war. I just hope we can keep her hidden from Madara until the time comes for her to strike," Tsunade replied and then pulled out a drawer to grab a bottle of sake. "You're dismissed. I suggest you go do whatever and Katsumi will find you once the mind scan is over."

Kakashi nodded and bowed, disappearing out the window a second later.

….

Kakashi ended up wandering off to the area of the village that was still in construction. He could spot several shadow clones of Naruto in the distance and decided to head that way.

_I know Sakura will still be at the hospital making sure medical equipment is properly set up, but I expect to rest of the team to be together._

As Kakashi neared the mass shadow clones, he felt the earth shake and saw a wooden building rise from the ground not too far ahead of him.

_Ah, Tenzō's still busy at work I see._

Kakashi continued walking until the ANBU came into view. "Yo, Tenzō," he called, flicking his hand up in greeting along with his typical eye-smile.

"Kakashi-sempai, you know by now to call me Yamato," the shinobi said, looking over at him with an exasperated glance.

"Old habits die hard," Kakashi replied with a chuckle. "How much work do you still have left to do?"

Yamato shrugged and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Given how many breaks I need to take; I'd say about five more days. Naruto and his shadow clones are a big help, but even he can only keep going for so long. Luckily I can just mention ramen and he'll get a second wind, but unfortunately I'm more limited on chakra than he is, so such bribes would have no effect on me," he said with wary grin.

Kakashi smirked under his mask. "Yes, but at least you'll be finished soon. I've noticed most of the other shinobi have started taking missions again or started preparing for the war. I heard that Team Gai was put on weapons detail, which isn't surprising considering that Tenten is on the team."

Nodding in agreement, Yamato turned and flashed through hand signs, causing another wooden structure to appear next to the previous one. "The next generation of shinobi is certainly strong. Team Kurenai has been training a lot, but I do see Naruto talking to Hinata quite often now, which isn't surprising."

_I never imagined Hinata would be able to speak to Naruto without passing out, but her declaration during Pain's evasion changed her._

"I guess I've been too busy with being temporary Hokage and then Katsumi's return to pay much attention to such things. I have noticed that Shikamaru has been spending a lot of time at Kurenai's though, but that's only because when I needed him for something I could always find him there," Kakashi said, smiling a bit under his mask, though still saddened by the loss of Asuma; he had learned a long time ago that such losses could be expected.

Yamato looked at Kakashi with a smirk. "Ah yes, Katsumi. That was quite an interesting spar you two had yesterday. I haven't seen you lose that badly in a spar since… ever," he teased, causing the silver haired Jōnin to roll his eye.

_I knew I was going to regret that._

Kakashi waved his hand dismissively. "If it was a real fight I probably could've won if I used my Mangekyō Sharingan. Besides, I think you should have sparred her. It would have been interesting given that you both have the same elemental affinities and a kekkei genkai."

_Which is very true, though Katsumi would still win since Tenzō's kekkei genkai isn't nearly as strong as the first Hokage's._

Yamato quickly shook his head. "If you were beaten then I wouldn't stand much of a chance," he replied, sweat dropping a bit at the thought.

A shadow suddenly passed over them and Kakashi looked up to see one of Sai's ink birds. It circled a moment before dropping one of the small baskets it was carrying into Yamato's hand.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the fruit basket and looked at the bird again to see it carrying the other one in Naruto's direction. "I take it Sai has been reading his books again?"

Yamato nodded and set the basket down after grabbing an apple. "Hai. I think it's the same one he was reading during Naruto's elemental training." He ran his hand through his short, brown hair before looking curiously at Kakashi. "Regarding the war situation; does Katsumi know what Kabuto has been up to? Because I really don't trust him after he implanted Orochimaru's DNA into his own body."

_That is an interesting question, for all we know it could have taken him over completely and there be another snake sannin out there._

"She hasn't mentioned anything about it, but I'll be sure to ask her. I wouldn't be surprised if he got involved in the war somehow," Kakashi replied, narrowing his eye at the thought.

"Or he probably already is. I just wonder what Kabuto can do for Madara's side of the war," Yamato replied with a frown.

Before either of them could discuss the idea further, Kakashi could hear footstep approaching rapidly from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see Katsumi running towards them with a pleased expression.

"I got the all clear," Katsumi said as she slid to a stop beside him. "Inoichi said my mind was pretty unique, but free of any outside influences," she added with a grin as her gold eyes sparked with amusement.

"Well we always knew that. It would have to be considering all the people you end up being friends with," Kakashi to her with an eye-smile and then glanced down at her hands, noticing that she was wearing black, fingerless gloves on both hands.

_Which isn't surprising; it helps her blend into the shadows better anyway._

Kakashi tried to ignore the tightening in his chest that seemed to occur more and more when she was around.

Yamato bowed to Katsumi before addressing her. "Katsumi-san, it's an honor to meet you."

"The honor's all mine," she replied with a grin and jabbed her thumb in Kakashi's direction. "It takes a lot of tolerance to deal with Kakashi, so congrats for putting up with him for so long."

"I actually consider it the other way around," Kakashi said, smiling under his mask at their amused expressions.

Yamato shook his head at his former ANBU team captain and then look at Katsumi. "May I ask why you were being examined by Inoichi-san?" he asked her curiously.

She nodded and quickly explained the situation, causing Yamato's eyes to go wide with shock.

Kakashi knew his friend well enough that she would start apologizing for Orochimaru again if she knew that Yamato was one of his experiments, so he tried the diversion tactic before she had a chance to start.

"Katsumi, we were discussing Kabuto just before you arrived. Do you know what he has been up to?" he asked, only for Katsumi's expression to darken to the point he had to force himself to not take a step back.

"Kabuto," Katsumi said with a slight hiss that was reminiscent of Orochimaru, "has desecrated the memory and souls of many decent shinobi."

_This is one of those times when I feel that she and Orochimaru could have been more closely related than cousins._

"What has he done?" Yamato asked, having actually taken a step back, but had quickly regained control of himself.

Katsumi evidently noticed their wary expressions and took a deep breath to calm down. "The part of Ochi-san that Kabuto had transplanted into himself has completely changed his physical appearance now and also increased his chakra level. He has used one of Ochi-san's techniques to an extent that I didn't expect," she told them while pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

Kakashi eyed her carefully as he narrowed his eye in thought.

_A technique of Orochimaru's that she never expected to be used to such extent. It also affects the souls and… Oh Kami_

"What is it, Kakashi-sempai?" Yamato asked, noticing the small amount of facial skin he could see of Kakashi go pale as he eye looked at Katsumi in shock.

Katsumi simply nodded, confirming Kakashi's suspicions. "Kabuto has mastered the Summoning: Impure World Resurrection."

"That will be a serious problem," Yamato said, his expression starting to match Kakashi's. He had witnessed the battle between the First, Second and Third Hokages and knew just how hard the two resurrected shinobi were to defeat.

"Why didn't you mention this to Tsunade-sama or at the Kage meeting?" Kakashi asked, taking charge of the situation again.

Katsumi sighed and turned her slitted eyes towards the Hokage monument. "Honestly? I decided it was more important to concentrate on stopping Madara first."

"That isn't your decision to make, Katsumi," he told her firmly, the many years of ANBU squad leader and temporary Hokage kicking into effect. "We need to report this right away."

_This is serious. Withholding critical information from the Hokage; what was she thinking?_

Katsumi closed her eyes and sighed. "Whatever you say, Kashi," she agreed and then looked at the Mokuton user. "It was good to meet you, Yamato."

Kakashi turned and jumped onto a nearby roof and took off towards the Hokage tower, knowing Katsumi would follow him. A second later he heard her footsteps behind him and she started running beside him with a resigned expression.

He glanced at her and suppressed a sigh as they landed in front of the Hokage tower.

_Hopefully her explanation will shed some clues to this; because I would hate for her to be sent to T&I for more forceful measures._

…

"What is it now, Kakashi, Katsumi?" Tsunade asked, not bothering to look at them as she searched through papers on her desk.

Kakashi sent his friend a meaningful glance; it would be better for her to explain so any punishment might be reduced.

Sighing, Katsumi took a step forward. "It has been brought to my attention that I've been withholding critical information regarding the war," she stated, causing the Hokage's head to snap up and focus her eyes on Konoha's newest Jōnin.

"What is this information?" Tsunade asked in a demanding tone.

Katsumi knew the dangerous tone rather well and rushed to explain. "Kabuto has teamed up with Madara and has resurrected many shinobi using the same jutsu Ochi-san used against the Sandaime."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Tsunade shouted, standing up and slamming her hands on the desk.

To her credit, Katsumi kept a neutral expression. "Because it's more important to focus on stopping Madara, and I have a plan on dealing with Kabuto," she replied calmly.

_So she does have a plan. I really hope it's something good, because otherwise this will turn ugly._

Kakashi eyed the fuming Hokage a moment before addressing Katsumi. "What kind of plan do you have that wouldn't involve the rest of us?"

Seeing their expressions, Katsumi must have realized it would be good for her health to explain. "I know enough about Impure World Resurrection that the only way to stop it is to seal the souls of the resurrected shinobi, or have Kabuto release them himself."

"It's possible to come up with a non-lethal sealing jutsu… and I don't see Kabuto really being cooperative about it," Tsunade said with forced calmness.

"True, but some of them really don't deserve that, plus there are really too many to stop like that along with fighting Madara and his army of Zetsu clones,"

A vein bulged on Tsunade's temple. "You've known what the number of his forces are, and haven't told us?"

_This is worse than I thought. You need to tell us everything Kat._

Katsumi gulped and grinned sheepishly. "I guess I forgot to mention that too, huh? His has one hundred thousand white Zetsu clones. They are not that strong, but the numbers along can overwhelm our forces easily."

"Tell me how many shinobi Kabuto has resurrected before I decide to punch you through the wall!"

Knowing the threat to be true, Katsumi replied quickly. "Thirty-six. That includes several past Kages, Jinchūriki, the previous Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, and the Akatsuki members that have been killed, besides that immortal Jashinist, Hidan."

Kakashi and Tsunade stared at her with wide eyes.

_Kami. That many skilled, almost immortal, shinobi? No wonder she wanted us to focus on Madara; it would be difficult coming up with a strategy against both of those forces. _

"What plan do you have to stop them?" Kakashi asked her.

Katsumi looked over at him with a small smile. "It all depends of Sasuke's choice. He has the power to make Kabuto release the resurrected."

"So to stop all those powerful shinobi, you're relying on the decision of a rogue shinobi that has betrayed his village and attacked his teammates several times?" the blonde Hokage asked in a slightly disbelieving voice.

"Well when you put it that way…" Katsumi shook her head as her eyes got a determined glint in them that was recognizable, but Kakashi was not sure it would work in this situation.

_Tread carefully, Katsumi, one wrong word at this point could get you thrown in a holding cell, and I really don't want that to happen._

"Just tell me why I shouldn't turn the full force of T&I on you," Tsunade ordered, her limited patience obviously drawing to an end.

"Because I'm ninety-five percent sure Sasuke will say yes; plus I'm the only one who has a chance of getting the anti-teleporting seal on Madara," Katsumi replied calmly and then awaited the Hokage's decision.

"She does have a point and her fighting with us really increases the odds of winning with fewer losses," Kakashi said, trying to think strategically and not just defending his friend.

Tsunade held her hand up in a signal for silence, to which both shinobi immediately complied as Tsunade closed her eyes in thought.

Several minutes passed before the Hokage snapped her eyes open and narrowed her eyes seriously at Katsumi. "Alright, here's what I'm going to do. You are going back to Inoichi and having your mind scanned again, but this time there won't be hiding any secrets. If you haven't told me anymore information that is crucial to the war effort, you will be handed over to Ibiki for further questioning. If all does go well, you will accompany Kakashi and I back to the Kage meeting, where we will inform the others of the information by saying you used your kekkei genkai to spy on Madara without his knowledge," Tsunade told him and then looked over at Kakashi, "You can escort her and stay for the mind scan. If Katsumi is still holding things back I want you to report back to me immediately."

Katsumi nodded, showing she understood the situation and would comply. "I swear I've told you everything relevant now, but I understand the need to be cautious."

_Tsunade must really need her for the war if the punishment is going to be nothing at all, except maybe not as quick to trust._

Kakashi placed his hand on the golden eyed Jōnin's shoulder. "Let go get this cleared up," he said causing her to nod and allowed him to steer her out of the room.

….

Katsumi and Kakashi returned to his apartment later that evening after another all clear scan from Inoichi and the reporting it to Tsunade. The blond Yamanaka had been surprised and a bit amused by Katsumi's hidden secrets, but after a quiet talk between the two of them; Inoichi had agreed to keep quiet about things that did not affect the village.

Katsumi had stepped out to the balcony in Kakashi's bedroom and was leaning on the rail; her eyes closed as the gentle breeze stirred her hair.

Kakashi had been watching her a few minutes from inside his room while his mind followed two trains of thought at the same time. One was trying to work out his feelings towards her, while the other questioned her actions earlier that seemed so out of character.

_Well, the easiest way to find out is just to ask. Unless she's had a complete personality change, Katsumi won't be vague or try to deny it._

Moving through the sliding glass door to join her outside, the copy nin stepped beside Katsumi and turned to lean his back against the rail. "Katsumi, can you tell me why you were hiding the information? I could tell the excuse you gave about focusing on Madara wasn't the whole truth," Kakashi said, focusing his single black eye on his friend to watch her reaction.

Katsumi lowered her head and sighed before turning her slitted gold eyes towards Kakashi. "I'm not a leader, Kashi; you know it as well as I do. That added to the fact the past nineteen years I never had to lead any missions or make decisions that would risk lives; can you really see me giving advice about fighting the war to the other Kages?" she asked him seriously.

Frowning under his mask, Kakashi considered the idea and then shook his head. "No, but you were giving advice before about Madara and the seal. Also how is it connected to withholding information?" he replied.

_Katsumi is right though, she was never a leader when we were teamed together. Co-leadership was always easy to do with her, but she rarely made decisions on her own without having someone agree with her. Katsumi was never suited to be a leader, a frontline fighter, or assassin. Joining a fight as reinforcement was always her best skill.  
><em>  
>Katsumi started to speak again, drawing him out of his thoughts. "I gave advice about the seal because it was something I'd studied and knew like the back of my hand," she said.<p>

Glancing at her gloved hands and Kakashi could not help but to think of the irony of that statement.

"Being dead for nineteen years, being able to get information on pretty much anything I wanted to... If everyone knew that kind of thing was possible, do you think I would get a second of peace? Everybody would want information one everyone else," Katsumi told him.

Kakashi nodded slowly, starting to understand where she was coming from. "But you don't know everything. You didn't even know about my books until Sakura mentioned them."

Something flashed in her gold eyes and she glanced away with an amused expression.

Kakashi reached towards her and placed a finger on her jaw, turning her to look at him again. "You knew about my books previously, didn't you? I assume you enjoyed that furious act a bit too much," he said with a narrowed eye, though it did not escape his notice how much he enjoyed that little contact, or the slight blush she gained from it.

_Though the blush could be from the fact I found out the reaction to the books was an act._

"Yeah, but you have to admit you were freaking out for a bit though," Kasumi replied with her usual grin.

"You were pretty convincing, but I knew you wouldn't have seriously hurt me," Kakashi said with a slight shrug and dropped his hand away from her face with slight reluctance.

She just flashed him a smile and then turned to head back inside. "We should get some sleep. I have a feeling the rest of the Kage meeting will be quite the headache," Katsumi said and he followed her back inside after a nod of agreement.

* * *

><p><em>Reviews are loved.<em>


	8. Chapter 6

**I'm back guys! Sorry for the update delay, but I've been completely covered up with work, plus NaNoWriMo, and my other ongoing fanfiction. It's a bit shorter than my last one, but I expect some stuff to really start off with the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

><p>It was about thirty minutes before the Kage meeting was supposed to start, when the shadows near the meeting room rippled and three shinobi emerge from them.<p>

Kakashi and Tsunade had both just closed their eyes for the trip, so thankfully neither of them were dizzy. The three elite shinobi made their way into the conference room and were first to arrive except for Mifune, who just welcomed Tsunade to the Land of Iron and the two continued talking for a few moments while Katsumi and Kakashi moved to take a seat on the benches further back from the curved Kage table.

It was not long before the other Kages entered the room. Tsunade was greeted with respect and the Mizukage seemed pleased to have another female Kage in the room, but the Tsuchikage seemed less than happy at her choice of guards.

"Is it really necessary to have two Kage level shinobi as guards?" the oldest Kage asked, narrowing his small eyes at Katsumi and Kakashi.

A, the Raikage, did not seem to mind the fact and wanted to get on with the meeting. "Katsumi and Kakashi have knowledge of the situation and will be beneficial to the meeting," he said to Ōnoki, who just nodded reluctantly.

"I wish to know, Tsunade-sama, how you managed to travel such a far distance in three days," Gaara said in his quiet voice, though his teal eyes flickered over to Katsumi, signifying that he had his suspicions.

"That is a good question," A said with a nod. "I suspect we haven't been told he full powers of the Shisou clan," glancing at Katsumi, who smirked in amusement.

The Mizukage just waved off their question. "Would you tell the other Kages about all your abilities? I think not," Mei said and then turned her light green eyes on the Hokage. "Do you have anything to add before we continue discussing battle tactics?"

Tsunade nodded and addressed the other Kages. "I sent Katsumi on a reconnaissance mission. As you might have guessed, she can travel through shadows and cover great distances in minutes, so she was the obvious choice to spy on Madara's hideout," she said, going over the best excuse for Katsumi's knowledge. "We now have an accurate estimate on the number of Madara's forces. It has also become apparent that he has teamed up with Orochimaru's former apprentice, Kabuto."

The announcement caused quite a stir among the Kages and guards.

"This is great news. We will be able to refine our plans better. What are the current numbers?" Mei asked the blonde Hokage.

"Katsumi reported that hidden in an underground cave, there are around one hundred thousand white Zetsu clones. The actual strength of the clones is unknown, but all records show that Zetsu is not a powerful frontline fighter, but the numbers are enough to be concerned about," Tsunade explained and then held her hand up to hold off the others replies. "The bigger concern is that Kabuto has mastered the summoning Impure Resurrection and has revived thirty-two elite shinobi from all the villages."

"Revived?" the Tsuchikage repeated in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

Gaara tilted his head towards the Hokage. "It's the same jutsu Orochimaru used during the Chunin exams, isn't it? I heard about from several Suna shinobi that saw the fight between the snake sannin and the third Hokage," he said, grabbing everyone's attention.

Tsunade nodded and then answered Ōnoki's question. "The jutsu was invented by the first Hokage, but it was quickly declared forbidden."

The dark skinned Raikage frowned as he considered what could be done with such a jutsu. "Do you know who Kabuto has resurrected? Also, if he brought back our allies, why would they fight against us?"

"That's taking into account they have a choice, Raikage-sama. I would assume such a jutsu would have control over the resurrected," the Mizukage said wisely, though she was also considering who could be brought back from her village, but the results were not good.

Tsunade nodded to the Mizukage. "You are correct; the seal he uses allows total control, though he can still allow the resurrected to keep their personalities, making them even harder to fight," she said and motioned for Katsumi to speak.

Katsumi stood up and moved to stand next to Tsunade and told everyone who exactly had been revived, shocking everyone and causing mummers of concern to echo around the room as she went to sit back down next to Kakashi.

After getting past the shock, Tsunade and the other Kages started discussing how to seal the souls of the revived shinobi and how to get the space-time jutsu suppression seal on Madara.

Katsumi and Kakashi had been listening intently to the conversation, making sure the fact Katsumi had found out all the information by being dead was not revealed. Once the Kages had switched to war plans, the guards started talking amongst each other.

_It seems the other Kages bought the excuse about Katsumi's spy mission. Now she'll have to really go find the hide out for two reasons; to speak to Sasuke, and to get the coordinates._

Kakashi wanted to speak to Katsumi privately, but knew he could not while they were in range of the others.

_I need to know when she needs to drink. I'll have to keep pushing her about it or I know she won't bring it up._

Chōjūrō, one of the Mizukage guards, was eyeing Katsumi curiously. "Katsumi-san, may I ask what it's like in the shadows?" he questioned her.

Kakashi suppressed a chuckle as the other guards glanced in Katsumi direction before catching themselves and feigning a look of disinterest.

_It is a good question, but I've been too busy thinking about other things to consider asking her._

Katsumi turned her gold eyes on the seemingly shy swordsman. "The shadows are like a parallel dimension. The areas of shadows are black at first glance, but the closer I get, the clearer the shadows get until it's like looking through a tinted window. The area I travel in though is a light grey or dull white, so not many people can stand to keep their eyes open as it speeds by at a blur," she replied kindly, not minding the question at all.

She sent an amused glance at Kakashi during the last sentence, reminding him of his dizziness from his first trip.

_It wasn't that bad, but if it happened in the middle of a fight, such dizziness could lead to death if an enemy took advantage of it._

A sudden stir at the Kages' table drew the guard's attention once again.

"This plan could work, but depending on the enemy's tactics we will have to adjust the plan during the battle to make sure the wind users stick together," Gaara said and glanced at the Hokage. "Will Katsumi-san be able to apply the seal with this strategy?"

_I heard most of the plan and it sounds like it will work; I just wonder when any weaknesses in her kekkei genkai will start to show._

"Katsumi, will this plan give you enough time to apply the seal?" Tsunade asked and Katsumi narrowed her eyes a moment as she considered the idea.

"Yes, but Madara will have to be on the ground for me to do it and you will need to find a way to distract him from my chakra signature," Katsumi replied as she straightened to address the Hokage.

The Kages nodded and started discussing the plan once more, including Katsumi's requirements and how to fight Madara once the seal was on him.

Kakashi narrowed his eye a bit at the plan it was a good strategy, but it would require patience from Katsumi.

_I'm just not sure how long Katsumi will be able to stay hidden while watching others fight. She won't be able to help at all until the seal is placed on Madara and I know if anyone is in danger she won't be able to stop herself from helping. Perhaps she could be discrete about it and still assist._

Mentally sighed, Kakashi decided that Katsumi would be able to handle it, but he would talk to her about later when he got the chance. His decision made, he sat relaxed in his seat and waited for the meeting to conclude.

….

The meeting continued on a higher note after they had decided on how to use Katsumi for the battle, so once dinner time rolled around, the meeting was concluded for the day.

Katsumi and Kakashi immediately moved to stand next to Tsunade and played their part as guards as they exited the room and headed towards the sleeping quarters.

The journey through the halls was silent except for the echo of Tsunade's high heeled shoes clicking against the floor and Kakashi glanced over at Katsumi with pointed look in his eye that he knew she could interpret.

Katsumi's gold eyes met his black one with an exasperated glance as they came to a stop outside Tsunade's room and waited on any final orders from the Hokage.

Tsunade opened her door and looked over her shoulder at them. "Meet me out here at six in the morning, and don't forget to eat supper," she said the last part with a pointed look at Katsumi and her tone made it an order.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," Katsumi said as she and Kakashi bowed.

Tsunade nodded and then stepped in her room, closing the door behind her as the two Jōnins turned and entered their room.

It was a fairly plain room with a bare floor and curtainless windows, since most shinobi tend to use windows as exits and bring their own sleeping rolls. Katsumi looked around and two beds instantly formed from the shadows.

Kakashi sent her a questioning look. "We do have our own sleep rolls in our storage scrolls," he commented as Katsumi stepped over to each bed and set them with a bit of chakra.

She turned her slitted eyes towards him and lifted the corner of her mouth in an amused smile. "I know, but this is more comfortable and it's still very easy to do," she replied with a shrug and pulled a scroll out her pocket.

Katsumi set it on the bed she had evidently claimed for herself and unrolled it. She touched the seal drawn inside it and with a cloud of smoke, a change of clothes appeared and Katsumi glanced at the door to the bathroom. "Are you going to shower first, or do you want me to?"

_She is determined to ignore the fact she needs to drink even though Tsunade made it an order. Why do I always end up being the one to enforce such things?_

Kakashi sighed and slipped off the white cloak they had been wearing for the colder weather, hanging it on the hooks on the wall before doing the same with his Jōnin vest. He turned to Katsumi, who was giving him a slightly impatient look as she waited for answer. "You heard the order, so you have to drink from me, tonight," he said as stepped forward until he was in front of her.

Katsumi sighed and gave him a challenging look. "I'll do it if you can honestly tell me that it isn't painful," she replied and without even waiting for an answer, she turned around and slipped off her weapons pouch and double checked the content as shinobi were taught in the academy.

_I know if she wasn't so stubborn, she wouldn't be the same Katsumi, but this is getting ridiculous!_

Knowing better than to grab another Jōnin from behind, Kakashi stepped up beside her and then grabbed her shoulder, tugging on it so she had to turn and face him. "As I said before, I'm not going to let you starve yourself. You know I've been in enough pain before that your bite is just a small twinge compared to other injuries, so there is absolutely no reason for you to be so stubborn about it," he said in a calm, collected voice, though putting it bluntly as possible as to get the point across.

Katsumi narrowed her slitted eyes at him in irritation, making Kakashi mentally compare the Shisou eyes to the Uchiha's in terms of glare effectiveness and at the moment, the golden eyes were winning.

"Fine, but I think you're just enjoying it too much thanks to your perverted books," Katsumi replied, a teasing glint appearing in her eyes along with another emotion he could not identify.

_Wait... What? How can she think...? Okay maybe there is a bit of truth in the matter but that doesn't me I enjoy enough to ask her to do it just for the fun of it! Then we are brought back to the issue of my feelings which are becoming stronger than friendship. Eh, I want to talk to some of my other friends and get their opinion on the matter, but not Gai of course. Perhaps Shikaku._

Kakashi blinked and drew out of his thoughts once he realized his train of thought had veered off the current issue. "That isn't true and besides, it has nothing to do with the matter," he said and pulled down both layers of his mask.

Katsumi's gold eyes met his for a few moments longer before she suddenly turned away and focused her attention on the weapons she had spread out on the bed, but he noticed that her movements were a bit stiff.

_She cannot honestly be this stubborn. I guess I will just have to match her._

"I can stand here all night, Kat, and then you'll feel guilty because I was awake all night," Kakashi said, and leaned against the wall close to the head of the bed, placing his hands in his pockets to make it look as if it was no big deal to stand there all night.

He felt slightly pleased when a tic formed above Katsumi's left eye and she shot him a glare for using her nickname.

"You're really not going to leave this alone are you?" Katsumi asked in an irritated tone and flipped her hair back over her shoulder as she turned towards him.

"No," Kakashi said in a tone that said he was not joking and he took a step closer.

Katsumi sighed heavily and he saw her shoulders drop and he let his stance relax a bit as well. He knew her signs of defeat and knew she would not argue with him any longer.

_It took long enough to wear her down. I honestly don't believe anyone could be more stubborn, except for me of course, but at least I give in when it's for my own good._

He watched as Katsumi stepped up onto a shadow stool as she had done the first time and she placed a hand against his chest before leaning in and he forced himself to try and think of something totally different, but his thoughts still kept going to Ichi Ichi type scenes.

_Katsumi's right, those books have corrupted me._

He managed to keep from tensing up as Katsumi bit down, but he noticed that she seemed to have studied anatomy a bit more and she managed to avoid the largest nerves.

As she continued to drink, Kakashi closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the warm feeling in his chest. Yep… he was definitely going to have to talk to some of the guys when they return to the village.

….

After another day of discussions, the Kage meeting was drawn to a close and the leaders started leaving to go and prepare their villages for war.

Kakashi watched as the other Kages and their guards left the room.

_That went smoother than expected, but now Katsumi has to go find Madara's hide out. I suppose Tsunade will allow her to confront Sasuke at the same time, so that will mean she'll send a team with her._

"Katsumi, take us back to the village," Tsunade said one the last guard had left the room and the Jōnin nodded and moved over to the shadowed wall and held her hands out for Kakashi and Tsunade to hold onto.

As soon as he gripped Katsumi hand, he felt the floor disappear out from under them and he quickly closed his eyes. It was just as strange moving at such speeds blinded the second time as it was the first time, so he was thankful when Katsumi finally pulled them back to the real world and he looked around to noticed that it was a bit earlier in Konoha then it had been in Iron Country, so they still had about an hour before the sun set.

Tsunade turned her golden brown eyes on Katsumi. "Katsumi, come with me to my office and I'll give you the details on your mission," she ordered and then looked to Kakashi. "I want you to find Inoichi and Shikaku and start planning out the battle plan, getting supplies, and figuring out which teams to put together; I'll look over it afterwards."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said with a bow and then nodded to Katsumi before he jumped onto a roof and headed off to T&I.

_Obviously I won't be sent on the mission with Katsumi, I just wonder who her teammates will be. Anyway, I'd best focus on the battle strategy. _

The silver haired Jōnin soon reached the entrance to the Torture and Interrogation headquarters and he made the signal that would allow him to enter without getting attacked by ANBU.

He entered the building without any confrontation and did not meet any resistance until he reached the stairwell that led down to the lower levels. A Jōnin guard stood next to the door and Kakashi made the signal once more and waited for the Jōnin to touch his shoulder and disrupt his chakra, which would remove any _Henge._

The Jōnin opened the door afterwards and Kakashi stepped passed him and soon knocked on the door to Inoichi's office.

"Come in."

Kakashi opened the door to see the Inoichi leaning over his desk, filling out paperwork. He looked up at Kakashi and he straightened up in his chair. "I see the Kage meeting must be over. I take it you are here to strategize?"

"Yes, we've come up with a plan to stop Madara by using Katsumi to place a seal on him with will block his space-time jutsu," Kakashi said and pulled up a chair as Inoichi pulled a blank scroll off the shelf and spread it out over the desk.

"First we need to go over who all we will be facing, and what plans the Kages came up with. Once we have that written down and sorted out we can go find Shikaku and go over it with him to formulate a battle strategy," Inoichi said and then he and Kakashi started working on the summarizing the amount of shinobi each nation had and then making the possible teams each shinobi could fit into.

_We'll have to strategize with the other countries before this is finalized, but for right now this plan works pretty well. We'll just need to catch up with Shikaku now. It's been a few hours, so I supposed Katsumi has left by now. I wonder who Tsunade sent with her._

Kakashi stood up and Inoichi rolled up the scroll and they started to head out to find Shikaku, who was actually on the first floor at the moment.

"So how has it been going with Katsumi?" the blond asked as they headed up the stairs, his blue eyes glancing over at Kakashi with a knowing look.

Kakashi mentally sighed. Well he wanted to talk with some of his friends about Katsumi, now was his chance. "I wanted to talk with you and Shikaku about her anyway."

Inoichi knocked on the door to Shikaku's office and raised an eyebrow at Kakashi. "Did she finally ask you out?"

"I don't know what you mean," Kakashi replied instantly, though his mind was reeling.

_Does Katsumi really care for me that way? Enough for it to be obvious to the other shinobi? I was trying to avoid reading too much into the situation, but it would seem that what I was correct in my first assumptions._

The Yamanaka chuckled and opened the door after hearing Shikaku's invitation. "I think everyone that has met her knows she is attracted to you. I can tell you feel the same way about her," Inoichi replied and earned a raised eyebrow from the scarred Nara who was standing at the book self, scratching his chin with a thoughtful expression.

"I take it you are cluing Kakashi in on the news that all the Jōnins know by now?" Shikaku asked with an amused smirk.

Kakashi rolled his eye. "My best friend, who I haven't seen since she was eleven, has just returned from the dead. I was trying not to read too much into the situation since that last time I saw her was as a child," he said in a dry tone and took the scroll from Inoichi and spread it out on the desk.

"Well when you put it that way I can see how you would be cautious, but I honestly believe you are overthinking it. It's obvious to all of us that she can't take her eyes off you," Shikaku told him before he started focusing on the plan.

Deciding they could continue the discussion later, Kakashi focused his full attention on the upcoming war.

…..

Katsumi jumped through the trees, her two teammates right behind her as they headed to where Katsumi know Madara's lair was located.

"Now tell me again why you can't just shadow travel us there instead of making the trip last for three days?" Anko asked, speeding up a bit so the she landed next to Katsumi and could look her in the eye.

Katsumi sent her a patient smile before replying. "Just because I can doesn't mean I should use it all the time. I'd get out of shape if I just travel everywhere like that. I have to keep my youthfulness alive somehow."

Anko shot her an annoyed look. "You just had to use that word, didn't you?"

"Katsumi! Your youthfulness will never die out! Your flames of youth burn even brighter than my own!" Gai said, shouting since they were still in Fire country. He was traveling on Katsumi right side and flashed a thumb up.

Anko seemed to be quite annoyed with him by that point and her hand kept twitching toward her kunai pouch. "Gai! Do you really need to shout everything that you say? This is supposed to be a stealth mission!" Anko hissed under her breath.

Her own craziness was one thing, but someone else's as another and she knew Gai was not afraid of her at all thanks to being around Orochimaru when he was young. She could count the number of missions she hand been on with Gai on one hand, and she had been ready to kill him by the end of each of them.

"Will you two get along for five minutes?" Katsumi asked, not that she really minded since she knew they would be fine, but she had some stuff she wished to talk about now that they were out of the village.

"What's on your mind, Katsumi?" Gai questioned, knowing her well enough to guess she wanted to talk.

Rolling her eyes at Gai's suddenly normal tone, Anko licked her lips as she had a guess at what it was about and knew it was already a rumor. "Is it something related to the mission? Or something personal?"

Katsumi noticed Anko's tone and rolled her golden eyes. "I take it everyone else has noticed?"

To her slight surprise, it was Gai that replied. "Actually I could see it coming from when we were kids," he said and Katsumi stumbled a bit before catching her stride as she stared at him.

"Seriously? I didn't even like him that way then!" she protested and Anko chuckled.

"Since you've come back, yours and Kakashi's relationship has become the worse kept secret in Konoha since Asuma and Kurenai," Anko stated rather bluntly.

Katsumi mumbled something inaudible under her breath and then focused her eyes straight ahead. "So do you think he is interested?"

Gai laughed and flashed a blinding smile. "Of course he is! I think everyone has noticed by now. Why don't you just ask him when we get back?"

She sent him a smile and nodded. "I think I'll do that," Katsumi replied and then turned her slitted eyes towards Anko. "You will tell no one of this conversation," she said in a tone that demanded nothing but compliance.

Anko simply flicked her wrist in a dismissive wave at Katsumi. "Whatever you say."

…

Two days later around noon, the three shinobi were crouched behind a row of bushes close to Madara's hideout. They had almost been caught by one of Kabuto's snakes, but Katsumi had sensed its shadow movement and had warned the others in time to avoid it.

Gai caught Katsumi's attention as they stayed hidden and he started signing to her. How long should we wait before coming after you?

Katsumi held her hand up and closed her eyes in concentration, checking to see how many were in the hideout with Sasuke. A few scans told her Kabuto was in one of the lower levels, while Sasuke was up in on ground level inside the cave. The Zetsu clones were far underground, so she did not need to worry about them.

It should not take me more than ten minutes, but if I am not back in thirty you should head back to the village. If I am caught I will try to mask my appearance and not let them know about my shadow traveling abilities until I can safely get away. Katsumi replied firmly and waited until she received reluctant nods from Gai and Anko before she sank into the shadows.

Katsumi made sure not to travel to close to the surface of the shadows, not wanting to alert the others of her presence since dealing with Sasuke would be difficult enough. It only took her a moment to locate Sasuke and she could see him through a tinted shadow that he was still in his shinobi gear, but was lying on a bed with white bandages covering his eyes.

Bracing herself for the following conversation, Katsumi moved towards the shadow and phased through it. Thankfully she anticipated jumping to the side just as a kunai whizzed past her head and became imbedded deep in the wall.

A quick glance showed her Sasuke was sitting up, facing her with several more kunai in hand and she had to dodged several more kunai before she could speak. "Sasuke! Is the anyway to greet a relative?" Katsumi asked and the Uchiha paused in his throwing, keeping his head turned towards her.

Like any decent shinobi, Sasuke's abilities were not terribly hampered from being blinded, though Katsumi knew she would be able to beat him in a fight right then if she had to.

"Who are you?" he asked in a demanding tone, still keeping a kunai pointed towards her.

"I'm Shisou Katsumi ," the Jōnin replied instantly, knowing she would have to be completely truthful if she was going to get anywhere with him.

Sasuke's forehead wrinkled as he frowned in her direction. "Impossible. All the members of that clan have been long dead," he replied and Katsumi had to catch a kunai that was aimed at her forehead.

"That's true. I know you won't believe me at first, but I have been dead to past nineteen years after being killed on a mission with Kakashi. I've only been recently revived and before Kami revived me… I spoke with Itachi," Katsumi told Sasuke in a calm voice as he jumped off the bed, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"That is the most ridiculous story I've heard, and you just made it personal by bring my brother into this," he said and the sword started sparking with lightning chakra as he pulled it out of the scabbard.

Katsumi knew she only had a few moments before Kabuto heard the noise, so she had to act fast. "You always asked Itachi to train with you, but he refused. The reason he did was because he wanted you to stay an innocent kid rather than a killer. I know the truth behind the massacre and I also know something important that Madara is keeping from you," she said in a rush and the light show died down as Sasuke considered her words.

"Tell me something only Itachi could've told you," he said in a cold voice, but was obviously willing to listen for the moment anyway.

Katsumi closed her eyes a moment as she recalled the conversation with Itachi that took place a few weeks ago. "After Itachi joined ANBU, he gave you a code word to say to him whenever you approached him in case one of his enemies tried to disguise themselves as you. The word was 'anzen' followed by a mention of your mother."

Sasuke carefully sat back down on the edge of the bed, but still kept his sword in hand. "What is it you have to tell me?" he said, knowing that it had to be something to do with Itachi.

Sighing, Katsumi leaned back against the shadowed wall so that if needed, a simple thought would allow her to escape quickly. "I know Madara told you about the Uchiha massacre, but did he tell you it was he that wanted the clan wiped out? Or that Itachi only did it to protect Konoha, which is something he died to protect, yet you still wish to destroy."

Katsumi barely managed to avoid a stream of Chidori as it shot towards her from Sasuke's hand.

"Do not act like you know what Itachi would want! I believe he would want me to avenge his death and exile by erasing Konoha, who turned their back on him," Sasuke said in a very dangerous voice, but still was not loud enough to draw attention.

She knew it was close to time for her to be leaving, so Katsumi decided to give him some food for thought. "If you don't believe me, then you should ask Itachi yourself. These people you have sided yourself with have done nothing but try to use you for their own gain."

Almost too fast for her eyes to see; Sasuke crossed the room and his hand slammed against her throat, pinning her to the wall. "Explain what you mean about asking Itachi! I saw him die; his eyes are mine. How can he be alive?"

"I'll tell you in exchange that you don't tell anyone I was here, at least until we meet on the battlefield," Katsumi told him, her gold eyes looking over the fresh bandages and knew it would still be a while before they would see each other again.

Sasuke only hesitated a moment before giving a short nod. "Alright. Now tell me."

"Kabuto, who has implanted Orochimaru's DNA within his skin, is working with Madara and summoned over thirty shinobi back from the dead using Impure World Resurrection. Included in those numbers are the former Akatsuki members. Itachi has no control over his actions now, but Kabuto wishes to play mind games with his opponents, so all of the shinobi still have their personalities," Katsumi told him and then used the shadows to force him back as she merged back into the shadows.

"Don't do anything rash, Sasuke, but think over what I have told you and look for the evidence yourself," she said, her voice echoing around the room from the shadows and Katsumi left him standing in shock in the middle of the room as she left to rejoin Gai and Anko.

* * *

><p><em>Review please! <em>

_I've got about half of my Orochimaru fanfiction written thanks to NaNoWriMo, So expect it up sometime during early 2012. It will be much longer than this one. _


	9. Chapter 7

**I have no excuse guys. Read the authors note at the bottom. If you want to know what I've been up to… Well a lot of role playing with some online friends. Playing League of Legends and Dragon Nest. And I've recently got into Attack on Titan and Diabolik Lovers. I've got a boyfriend now too so that takes up part of my time.**

**Hope you guys enjoy this part at least.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

><p>Kakashi was in the Hokage's office, waiting on Tsunade to look over the plans Inoichi, Shikaku and he had come up with for battle strategies and splitting teams into groups. They had just sent the scroll with him since they were quite busy with other ongoing jobs at the moment,<p>

_I wonder if Katsumi is finished with her mission. Tsunade didn't say how long she would be gone and it is nearing six days. I wonder if Gai was one of her teammates since he's not in the village, though that could just be coincidence._

"I approve of these plans. I will send a copy of them to the other Kages and then they can adjust it to fit their teams as needed," she said and set the scroll over to the side after rolling it up. "You are dismissed, Kakashi. Though you might want to wait up here for a few moments since I believe Katsumi has returned from her mission," Tsunade said, looking out the window with a slightly amused expression.

Raising an eyebrow, Kakashi looked out the window across the rooftops to see Gai gleefully dodging several kunai thrown by Anko. "You sent Katsumi out with Gai and Anko as teammates?" he asked as an amused grin formed under his mask.

_That would not have gone over well with Anko at all. _

"You could've warned me about Anko's short temper with Gai," Katsumi said as she entered the office through the window.

Kakashi gave her quick glance over and did not see a scratch or hair out of place, but she still looked quite annoyed and her gold eyes flickered back to where Gai and Anko were still having a scuffle.

Tsunade smirked and the comment before her face formed a serious expression. "So how did the mission go?"

Katsumi smiled slightly and then reached into her pocket to pull out a scroll, which she then laid on Tsunade's desk. "The message was delivered successfully and I found out the coordinates of the base, as well. All the information and words exchanged are in the scroll."

Tsunade smiled slightly at her. "It is good to have you back, Katsumi. I don't have any other missions for you or Kakashi, so you can just continue to help with the repairs and weapons preparation until I hear more from the Kages," she said in a dismissing tone.

Kakashi nodded and bowed before turning to leave, only to notice that Katsumi was not moving.

"Tsunade-sama, I wish to request permission to leave the village for two days in order to search for a summoning contract I wish to sign. I know it could wait, but I believe it would be helpful for the upcoming battle," Katsumi asked her.

_A summoning contract? I always expected for her to sign the snake contract, but she wouldn't need to leave the village for that since Anko has it after swiping it from Orochimaru's base._

"I suppose you won't tell me what animal this contract is for, will you?" the Hokage said, but started writing out a pass for Katsumi to give to the guards. "Do you know exactly where it is?"

The Shisou nodded, her slitted eyes filled with certainty and Kakashi once again realized that he needed to talk with her as soon as she got back.

"I'd rather it be a surprise since no one has signed it in over a hundred years. It's located in a cave near Kusagakure. I plan on shadow traveling there and back so I'll have time to work with the summons and make sure they'll follow orders," Katsumi replied and Tsunade handed her the scroll. "Arigato, Hokage-sama," she said with a bow and then turned to Kakashi. "Walk with me to the gate?"

Kakashi nodded and followed her out the window before both of them took off towards the gate. "How bad was the mission?" he asked once they slowed down to a walk.

Katsumi snorted and rolled her eyes. "The actual mission part went without a hitch. It was Anko that was the biggest problem."

_Anko is a Jōnin. I'm sure she knows how to behave on a mission._

"What happened that has Anko chasing Gai all over the village with kunai?" Kakashi asked while tilting his head slightly as his sharpened hearing could still hear Anko's shouting in the distance.

Katsumi evidently heard it as well and the corner of her mouth lifted in amusement. "Gai was continually wearing on Anko's nerves on the way to the base the whole time we were in the Land of Fire, though he switched to mission mode once we crossed the border. Once we finished and began to head back I dropped the suggestion to Gai that even though he mainly uses taijutsu, I knew a great genjutsu that would work well on friends and enemies and perhaps encourage other to find their youthfulness," she said and then chuckled as Kakashi sweat dropped at the Gai-like word.

_I fear to ask where this is going. If it is enough to drive Anko to give into her bloodlust…_

He sighed heavily. "What was the genjutsu?"

Katsumi smirked at him and made a single sign and Kakashi felt a genjutsu cover him. Realizing Katsumi was simply showing rather than telling he resisted the urge to dispel it immediately was waited to see what it was, only for nothing to happen.

"What am I supposed to be seeing?" he asked, looking around to see that the genjutsu had not changed his surroundings.

Wait a second, if it hasn't changes anything around me…

Kakashi suddenly look down at his body and paled before dispelling the illusion. "Don't ever do that again," he said, giving a chuckling Katsumi a hard glare.

_Though I can see why Anko is now trying to kill, or at least maim Gai._

"What, Kakashi? You don't think you look good in green spandex?" Katsumi asked as they neared the gate.

Kakashi shook his head with a heavy sigh. "Seriously, Katsumi, did you have to give Gai the idea for such a genjutsu? Though I am surprised that he didn't come up with it on his own."

"Because it was funny, plus you have to admit it is rather effective in startling your enemies," she said and handed her pass to the guards.

"True. Be careful, Katsumi," he said, nodding to her.

_Perhaps I will talk to Gai now that he is back in the village. He might have some insight on the situation and Katsumi may have told him something regarding her feelings towards me; especially since it was supposedly obvious to everyone else. _

Katsumi smiled at him before stepping through the gate and sinking into the shadow of the wall.

….

Kakashi headed back into the village. He knew that most of the repairs were almost completed, so the other shinobi had that covered. Deciding to go help with restocking the weapons, he headed to the weapon storage building that was close to the ANBU headquarters.

The weapons storage was where shinobi dropped off their worn out, standard shinobi tools, then store owners would come and pick them up to be sharpened, or melted down to reuse. Most of the time the shinobi did not mess with them and just leave them for the store owners, but with the war on the horizon all extra weapons were needed and there was not enough people to look through them that actually knew what was salvageable, and what needed to be melted back down. Plus if a few Jōnins that knew what they were doing worked through it, it could be done in less than a day.

_Genin sometimes don't realize how important a tiny crack in a kunai could be in a battle. If someone used a cracked kunai to block a sword, and the kunai broke, it could be life or death._

To his slight surprise, Anko and Gai were already there laying out the many kunai, shuriken, swords, and other various and deadly sharp shinobi tools. He also spotted Tenten working a bit further away with one of the weapons store owners.

Kakashi moved over to Gai. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Ah my eternal rival, the ones on the left have already been inspected and sharped, so you can just grab a stack from the right and start sharpening and inspecting," Gai told him, motioning towards the pile of weapons.

_I'm not sure how wise it is to have Anko around so many weapons at the moment, but at least Gai is used to dodging._

Kakashi sat down and started checking over the kunai for any cracks that could weaken the weapons. He also noticed Anko was tossing the kunai she was finished with to Gai, well less tossing and more throwing them towards his head, though Konoha's green giant caught them with barely even a glance.

"So Anko, how did you enjoy the mission?" he asked, looking over at the kunoichi with an eye smile, only to have to catch several shuriken aimed at his head.

_Anko is so fun to rile up. I can see why Katsumi suggested that genjutsu, even with the risk of her wrath._

"I take it Katsumi told you what happened?" Anko asked through gritted teeth as she found a kunai with a large crack and tossed it into the reject pile.

Kakashi shook his head slightly and tossed a shuriken into the reject pile along with a sword, before getting started on sharpening a Fūma shuriken. "She decided to show me rather than tell," he replied and Anko started laughing.

"Perfect! I knew I put up with Katsumi for some reason," she chuckled.

Kakashi noticed Gai had an amused expression before he covered it with his blinding smile. "So, Kakashi, when are you going to ask out Katsumi?"

If Kakashi had been a lesser shinobi, he would have cut his hand open by dropping the giant shuriken. Instead, he simply slid the sharpening block off the metal edge a bit too early.

"Has Katsumi said anything?" he asked, knowing Gai was the most likely person she would talk to about such things.

_Though Anko might know as well since she was on the mission too._

Anko chuckled and smirked at him. "She didn't have to say anything since it is glaringly obvious, but yes she did say something. I'm just not going to tell you," she said with a smug grin.

Gai nodded, catching Kakashi's attention once more. "You two should quit tip-toeing around each other."

Kakashi rolled his eye in exasperation. He had already explained the situation to Inoichi and Shikaku; he did not wish to explain it again. "I'll speak to her when she returns to the village."

"Ah yes, she had mentioned going to find a summons that would match her own youthfulness," Gai exclaimed, nodding in satisfaction.

_Well… four sentences without mentions of flames or youth. I suppose that's a new record for Gai._

….

Kakashi spent the next two days training, strategizing, and helping out whenever he noticed someone needed it. He was soon reassigned to working with Shikaku and Inoichi once more, but they quickly smoothed out the issue of how to keep Naruto safe, but still allow him to fight. It would just waste fighting power to try and keep Naruto away when Kakashi figured he could probably escape most situations. The fact Naruto could avoid several Chūnin and Jōnin when he pranked the village so many times was a testament to his evasion skills.

There were still some arguments about the decision, so they also came up with a backup plan for either Katsumi, or another fast traveling shinobi, most likely Gai, to get Naruto out of the area if anything were to go wrong. Tsunade would also contact the Raikage to see if he wanted Killer Bee to be included in a retreat plan if it came to that. Naruto would be going to train with Killer Bee for a little while before they are allowed to enter the battle in the hopes Naruto can get better control over the Nine-tail's chakra, but everyone knew better than to rely on that.

_Hopefully with all the knowledge we have, this war will be over much faster than Madara expects._

Kakashi mulled over one of the problems they were having with deciding how they would go about sealing the resurrected shinobi should Katsumi's plan fail. He was deep in thought as he headed towards the training areas to get some quiet to go over some ideas, when he sensed a chakra signature approaching and he looked up with his single eye to see Katsumi jumping through the trees towards him with a smile on her face.

Kakashi smiled slightly under his mask before realizing what he was doing, but warmth still filled his chest just from seeing her smile.

_I really do act love struck around her. I guess it's not surprising that everyone else could see it. It's just so much harder to tell with her because she acts friendly and smiles to everyone. _

"I take it your mission was a success?" Kakashi asked as Katsumi landed lightly on the grass in front of him.

She nodded, her golden eyes lit with excitement. "Oh yes, want to see one of my new friends?" Katsumi asked him, though the grin on her face warned him that she would show him even if he said no.

"Show me, but just remember that you will need to show one to Tsunade as well and some animals dislike being summoned without real need," he warned, although he had never had to deal with the problem personally since he and his ninken got along rather well because he raised them.

Katsumi nodded and then suddenly stepped closer, reaching up to tap his nose once with narrowed eyes. "You, Hatake Kakashi, are forbidden to make any type of pun or comment about this," she warned and then bit her thumb before flashing through the hand signs and slamming her hand to the ground.

Kakashi felt his amusement start to rise after receiving the warning and the Jōnin raised his visible silver eyebrow as a poof of smoke about three feet tall appeared.

_No puns? Don't tell me she ..._

The smoke cleared away to reveal a cheetah, the yellowish gold fur almost matching Katsumi's eyes. The large cat had bandages wrapped around its legs along with a light amount of leather armor, but what caught Kakashi's attention were the extremely sharp metal tips on its claws.

After noting that the cheetah was clearly built for speed, but could also fight, one thought crossed the silver haired Jonin's mind.

_Kat has cats._

A grin broke out under his mask, but Katsumi looked at him with her eyes narrowed in such a warning that Kakashi quickly composed himself.

Katsumi noticed his grin, but huffed instead of saying anything further and looked down at the summons, who was staring back at Katsumi, its strip tipped tail twitching slightly in wait.

"Kibou, this is Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi, this is Kibou," she said, motioning between them.

Kibou lifted is nose towards Kakashi for a moment before huffing slightly. "This is the one you told me had a contract with dogs. I can smell them on him," he said before looking at Katsumi once more with his green eyes "You said you would also summon me to meet your Hokage. Are we going to do that now?"

Katsumi nodded to Kibou before looking at Kakashi. "Are you going to come, or do you have something else that you need to work on?"

"I was heading to the training grounds to work on some new jutsu, so just come find me when you finish," Kakashi replied casually, not letting his nervousness show.

_Plus that will give me a bit more time to think about what I want to say. This seems to be harder than any mission I've been sent on._

Katsumi nodded and smiled slightly before glancing down at Kibou. "Come on. I'll introduce you to Tsunade-sama," she said and then ran towards to village, followed by Kibou, before leaping onto the rooftops and disappearing from his sight.

Sighing quietly, the Jōnin turned and continued walking until he reached his usual training ground where several of the training posts had scorched _Chidori_ holes in them… and he planned on adding a few more by the time he was done.

…..

Kakashi panted slightly as he felt the chakra drain from the use of his Mangekyō Sharingan. He had successfully used Kamui to consecutively send a kunai and then a log into another dimension without having to wait a few minutes in between to build up his chakra.

_I still need to be able to use it more than twice a day for it to be useful in battle, plus I need to figure out a way to reduce its chakra drain so I won't be left completely useless._

Needing a moment to rest and decide what to work on next, Kakashi moved to sit underneath a shade tree. He removed a bottle of water from a storage scroll and took a drink with such speed that even if there was anyone around they still would not have been able to see his face.

_Katsumi should be returning anytime now. I'm just going to try to not overthink this and go with what feels right. Gai and Anko seem to think she feels the same way about me, so there is no need to be panicking over it. I'm a former ANBU captain; this should be a child's play as compared to that._

His plan decided, Kakashi stood up just as he felt Katsumi's chakra signature behind him.

"How's your training going?" Katsumi asked as she sat down next to him and took in his slightly tired appearance.

Kakashi looked over at her, his Sharingan still uncovered, but no longer in its Mangekyō form. "My other Sharingan form still takes too much chakra for it to be of much use in battle, but hopefully what little I can do with it will help," he replied.

He was taking the opportunity to take in Katsumi's appearance with his Sharingan, knowing it would be implanted in his memory forever. As he was watching the way her dark hair still managed to shimmer in the sunlight, he suddenly realized she was looking at him with an amused smile.

"See something you like, Kashi?" Katsumi asked as she shifted her hips on the ground so that she could turn to face him.

_Well here is my chance…_

Kakashi reached up and pulled his hitai-ate back down over his eye before replying. "Yes, actually. Listen, Katsumi, there is something I've been meaning to tell you. Ever since you came back I couldn't help but notice my feelings for you have changed as compared to when we were younger. Apparently everyone else noticed before I did, but several people pointed out that you probably felt the same way. Is that true?" he asked, trying to maintain a calm exterior.

_Why did I say all that? I think I just set the record for the longest way to ask someone out. _

After mentally berating himself for the verbal diarrhea, Kakashi focused his attention on Katsumi to find out her answer.

The golden eyed kunoichi seemed to take a deep breath, but instead of answering him, she simply chuckled lightly. "You know, I could go into a long spill about my feelings for you, but I think I'm going to take the shorter route," Katsumi replied and leaned forward, pulling down his mask and pressing her lips against his.

Kakashi mind was surprisingly blank at the moment, but his body reacted for him as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

After several moments passed they broke apart, their breathing a bit heavier than before.

"I guess that answers that question," Kakashi said with a content smile as he curled the ends of her hair around is fingers.

"If it doesn't then I will have to try again," Katsumi said, mirroring his smile.

He hummed as he considered it. "You probably should just to make sure I get the message," he told her and instantly was locked in another kiss with her.

When they pulled apart once more, Katsumi reach up and pulled his mask back to its proper position, causing Kakashi to raise a brow. "Unless you want everyone to know what you look like; we'll have to avoid doing that out in the open too much," she said in response to his questioning look. "Kiba, Shino and Hinata are heading in this direction and who knows how far out Shino has his bugs scouting."

"Hinata and Shino would be able to keep it to themselves, but if Kiba found out then the whole village would know within a few hours and you'd have to fight off fangirls for me," Kakashi said with a chuckled and then stood up, offering her his hand, which she took and he pulled her up as well.

Katsumi smirked as she replied. "I can handle any fangirls, but it would become rather troublesome."

Kakashi smiled under his mask at the fact she had used Shikamaru's favorite word and then glanced back over his shoulder and Kiba rode into the clearing on the back of Akamaru.

_Is that dog still growing? _

Hinata and Shino soon followed behind him and they all came to a stop in front of the Jōnins. The team came to a stop in front of Katsumi and Kakashi with a small bow.

Hinata started to speak, but before she could get a word out, Akamaru barked and Kiba patted his head. "What's that boy? Katsumi smells like cats now?"

Katsumi chuckled and nodded her head. "I recently signed a summoning contract with big cats, so that's why you hadn't scented it before, Akamaru," she replied, earning a smile from Kiba, who appreciated it when people actually addressed his partner.

Kakashi knew those two would be talking for a moment, so he looked over at Hinata and Shino. "So what brings you guys out here?"

* * *

><p><em>Okay guys, this is the last bit I had written before I lost all urge to write. Now I want to finish this, but the issue I'm having is how long the war has gone on, and things that have been revealed. Now I was planning on wrapping the whole war up in like one or two chapters, because most of the focus of this fic was Katsumi and Kakashi's relationship. Here are my two options.<em>

_1. Write the war as I originally planned it, ignoring everything that was revealed in the manga_

_2. Or skim over the war and focused on Katsumi and Kakashi for a few parts of it, then move on to what happens afterwards._

_So let me know which you guys would rather see._

_I'm still working on another Katsumi story that is Orochimaru focused and has more action, so I want to finish that eventually as well._

_Peace out guys._


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